Alex Pereira Could Knock Out Jon Jones Says Robelis Despaigne

Former UFC fighter Robelis Despaigne has shared his thoughts on the current UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira. Despaigne, a 6‑foot‑7 heavyweight and Olympic taekwondo bronze medalist, recently sparred with Pereira and believes the Brazilian has a distinct power advantage. He notes that Pereira is a natural heavyweight who cuts down to 205 pounds to compete in the light‑heavyweight division, yet still carries heavyweight strength. In their sparring sessions, Despaigne observed that Pereira, who weighs around 240 pounds—similar to other heavyweights like Ciryl Gane—delivers power that can overwhelm an undersized opponent.

Despaigne also speculated that Pereira could potentially compete in the middleweight division, given his ability to cut down to 185 pounds. Regarding a possible matchup between Pereira and Jon Jones, Despaigne said that if Jones makes a mistake, Pereira could knock him out. However, he acknowledged Jones’s strengths, particularly his wrestling, which could pose a significant challenge for Pereira.

In a separate analysis, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping predicted that Jones would employ a strategy similar to the one he used against Ciryl Gane to defeat Pereira. Bisping believes Jones would look to take Pereira down to gain an advantage. The potential Jones‑Pereira fight is highly anticipated, with many expecting Jones to be too much for the current light‑heavyweight champion. Nonetheless, Despaigne’s comments suggest that Pereira’s power and versatility could make him a formidable opponent for Jones. As the MMA community continues to speculate, it remains to be seen how Pereira would fare against Jones in the octagon.