Georges St-Pierre has been paying close attention to Alex Pereira's journey, and he likes what he sees.
Pereira, already a champion at both middleweight and light heavyweight, is closing in on another chance to make history. He'll face Ciryl Gane in the co-main event at UFC White House on June 14, with the interim heavyweight title up for grabs.
A win would see him become the UFC's first-ever triple champion—a remarkable feat given his relatively short time in MMA compared to other fighters who have reached similar heights.
Pereira has put on serious size since his days as a 185-pounder. His recent frame looks like it could handle heavyweight power just fine.
St-Pierre hasn't missed that transformation either. On a recent episode of the FULL SEND Podcast, he spoke about how much Pereira's body has changed over the years.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Pereira has hinted at a move to heavyweight for some time now, especially after his weight cuts started to become an issue at 205 pounds, just as they had been at middleweight.
For the Brazilian, the shift to a heavier division feels more like a natural step than something he's being pushed into.
St-Pierre may have come to the same conclusion after meeting 'Poatan' in Newark. Both were present for last Saturday's UFC 328 event at the Prudential Center.
Speaking with MMA Junkie, St-Pierre shared his first-hand impression of Pereira's build.
"I don't know how he's doing this, this is unbelievable," St-Pierre said. "He's so big. He was sitting next to me. I don't know how he got so big."
St-Pierre knows a thing or two about moving up in weight himself. He captured titles in two divisions during his career and beat Michael Bisping in 2017 before calling it quits.
Pereira is looking to go one better with a third divisional title. But even if he does win, he'll have to wait for Tom Aspinall's return from injury before any chance of making it three undisputed championships.
Aspinall is expected to face the Gane vs Pereira winner once fit again. The Englishman recently had double eye surgery following injuries sustained against 'Bon Gamin' last October.
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