WASHINGTON – Daniel Cormier wants everyone to pump the brakes on the Alex Pereira GOAT talk ahead of UFC Freedom 250.
Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC will look to claim a UFC title in a third division when he takes on Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim heavyweight belt in Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 (Paramount+) co-main event at the White House.
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Dana White claimed that Pereira would surpass Jon Jones as the greatest of all time with a win over Gane – albeit an interim belt, but Cormier isn’t ready to make that statement just yet.
“Alex just asked me that directly, and he’s big now, so it’s like, that’s a hard question to answer in front of him when he’s that big,” Cormier said during Wednesday’s UFC Freedom 250 media day. “And I actually told him no. I told him that I don’t think he would be the greatest just yet. He would need to defend the championship at heavyweight.
“He’s defended three times at light heavyweight, fought for that title a lot of times, and I think he just needs more work. But I do believe being a three-division champion is one of the greatest accomplishments ever, but to put him over Georges St-Pierre or Khabib Nurmagomedov? I don’t think quite yet. Jon Jones, you guys know how I feel about that, so …”
More: One win until UFC GOAT status? Alex Pereira letting others determine
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More: Laura Sanko: Dana White pushing Alex Pereira’s GOAT case ‘too soon’
Fellow UFC commentator Michael Bisping agrees with White. He said it’s hard to deny Pereira if he’s able to make history against Gane.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC White House: Analyst says Alex Pereira ‘needs more’ to be GOAT
