Alex Pereira opens as betting underdog in matchups with Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and more
Despite his impressive run, Alex Pereira remains a betting underdog against four of his next possible opponents.
On Saturday, Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title for the second time, knocking out Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 303. In the aftermath, the question turned to who “Poatan” will face next, and whether or not he might make the move up to heavyweight to try and become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
Well, if he does, oddsmakers don’t like his chances.
On Sunday, Sportsbetting.ag released odds for hypothetical matchups between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, and Pereira is a sizable underdog in both. Check out the odds below.
Alex Pereira (+500) vs. Jon Jones (-800)
Alex Pereira (+300) vs. Tom Aspinall (-400)
For reference, a bettor placing $100 on Pereira would return $500 plus the initial wager in the event Pereira beat Jones. These odds suggest Pereira has a 25-percent chance to beat Aspinall, while only a 16.7 percent chance to defeat Jones.
Sportsbetting.ag also included a line for a possible trilogy matchup between Pereira and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, and once again, Pereira comes in as the underdog, though in this instance oddsmakers give him a 39-percent chance to win.
Alex Pereira (+155) vs. Israel Adesanya (-185)
It’s unclear at this time who Pereira will fight next, though UFC CEO Dana White did suggest after UFC 303 that he’s not quite ready to see “Poatan” move up to heavyweight. Instead a matchup with former light heavyweight title challenger Magomed Ankalaev may loom.
Keeping with the theme, Pereira already sits as a betting underdog in that one as well, with oddsmakers giving him a 32.3-percent chance to defend his light heavyweight title again.
Alex Pereira (+210) vs. Magomed Ankalaev (-250)