In addition to moving to a higher weight division, Alex Pereira underwent an insane weight gain of over 22 pounds in just 24 hours after the weigh-in for his fight against Jan Blachowicz in UFC 291.
Alex Pereira has been a popular name in MMA ever since he defeated middleweight champion Israel Adesanya on November 10, 2022. In case you’re unaware, the Brazilian MMA fighter had previously defeated Israel twice in their amateur career. He really became a nightmare for Adesanya. However, it didn’t take for Adesanya to take his middleweight title back as he knocked out Alex in the second round in UFC 287 on April 9, 2023.
On the other hand, he recently moved his weight class and fought against Jan Blachowicz in the light heavyweight division in UFC 291. He won the fight by a split decision.
However, people have still not gotten over the fact that Alex Pereira looked way too heavy during the fight. While they both weighed 205 pounds during the weigh-ins, Alex gained over 22 pounds in just 24 hours following his weigh-in and before the fight. Of course, you can gain as much weight as you want after the weigh-in in the UFC. Regardless, people believe it is insane and want to know more about his weight gain. Well, we’ve got you covered.
There are more weight gain stories of David Krumholtz and Greta Gerwig that you might be interested in.
Alex Pereira Underwent a Weight Gain of 22 Pounds in 24 Hours, Right After His Weigh-in for UFC 291!
Alex Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira) previously fought in a middleweight decision. He weighed around 185 pounds fight during the weigh-in on his 2nd professional fight against Israel Adesanya in UFC 287. And recently, he underwent a significant weight gain of around 20 pounds in his latest fight against Jan Blachowicz in the light heavyweight division.
However, that’s not the only weight Alex gained prior to his fight against Jan. He weighed 205.5 pounds during the weigh-in in his first light heavyweight fight. He abandoned the middleweight class to avoid a dramatic weight loss. As a result, several members of the MMA world were curious as to how much the former UFC middleweight champion will weigh on fight night. ESPN MMA shared a stunning announcement on Twitter.
Alex Pereira gained 22.5 in 24 hours since his weigh-in 🤯 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/T5wVr2AMlx
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 29, 2023
Yes, Alex Pereira underwent a weight gain of over 22 pounds just 24 hours after the weigh-in. While it is totally okay to gain as much weight as you want after the weigh-in in the UFC, fans responded in a variety of ways in the comment section of the post.
Some argue that Pereira’s sudden weight gain following the weigh-in should be illegal. Similarly, many fans were surprised to learn that Pereira has fought five times in the UFC’s middleweight division. On the other hand, several fans were unsurprised by Pereira’s weight gain after weighing in as they believe it’s all water weight. As one user wrote,
2.7 gallons of water, not that complicated.
Similarly, another wrote,
Yes, that would be called water weight.
Will There Be Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira 3?
Jon Anik believes Israel Adesanya might face Alex Pereira in UFC 293.
Image Source: MMA JUNKIE
The UFC returns to Sydney, Australia, on September 9, with Israel Adesanya likely to defend his middleweight championship in the main event of UFC 293. The major issue is that the number one contender Dricus Du Plessis is not expected to be ready after fighting on July 8.
The UFC is said to be hesitant in pitting Adesanya versus Sean Strickland, the second top championship candidate. As a result, the UFC may look at other options for ‘The Last Stylebender’ at UFC 293. Jon Anik said in an interview with The Schmo that Adesanya might face the winner of Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira for the vacant light heavyweight belt saying,
It’s not crazy to think, right, that maybe you do Adesanya and the winner of Pereira and Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title. Since it’s vacant, in Sydney.
Now that Alex has defeated Jan, it will be interesting to see who Adesanya will be facing in UFC 293. We will get back to you as soon as we get any updates.
