Video | Alex Pereira reveals he needs to cut 22 pounds ahead of UFC 303

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira needs to cut 22 pounds ahead of UFC 303 next weekend.

We all know that Alex Pereira is a beast. He’s already done so much in his short mixed martial arts career and yet, many already see him as an absolute legend. Now, as we look ahead to next Saturday, he’s set to put together something even more special. He’s set to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship on short notice, taking on Jiri Prochazka for the second time.

RELATED: New video footage shows the moment Alex Pereira accepted the call to save UFC 303

The reason for that is simple: Conor McGregor is out. The UFC knew that they had to put together something great in order to avoid mass resales, but of course, that’s likely to happen either way. With Pereira being one of the most popular fighters in the sport, though, you’d have to imagine this change will leave a lot of hardcore fans feeling pretty happy.

Now, there’s the small issue of ‘Poatan’ needing to cut weight. He’s a big guy and had to cut a lot in order to get down to middleweight, where he won his first UFC title. For this one, though, he’ll still have to put in a lot of work in order to hit his mark on the scales.

https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1802767533738774874

Pereira’s challenge

At this moment in time, per this video, Alex weighs 227 pounds. With the light heavyweight title limit being 205 pounds, that means he needs to cut 22 lbs in order to compete for the belt. At the same time, we’d imagine Jiri Prochazka will also be cutting a decent amount, but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.

Do you have confidence that both of the main eventers for UFC 303 will make weight? Who is your favorite to leave Las Vegas as champion? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!