Alex Pereira might return against a middleweight. Before you ask, no, it is not Khamzat Chimaev. Yes, the pair have been going back and forth for a while now. But that fight was never in serious consideration until the Brazilian called for a grappling match, instead of an MMA bout. Pereira’s wish might be granted, except that it will not be Chimaev on the mats with him.

Back in November, Pereira challenged UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev to a charity grappling match. Now, Sharaputdin Magomedov appears to be his most likely opponent in grappling. The Brazilian has not fought since UFC 320, where he defeated Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim the title, and his next move in the UFC has remained uncertain. However, that uncertainty may soon vanish, as Islam Makhachev’s manager has revealed that Pereira is in talks to face the middleweight striking sensation.

Alex Pereira vs. Dagestani middleweight phenom next in line?

“We are waiting for a date for [Shara’s] next fight. Ideally, an event in the Middle East or elsewhere, because he can’t fight in the US for obvious reasons. He’s filling his free time with this kind of match. It’s essentially two strikers who will be grappling. The negotiations are ongoing,” Rizvan Magomedov, Islam Makhachev’s manager, told Sports24.

Of late, crossover grappling matches have gained popularity among MMA fighters. While Alex Pereira hasn’t been very active outside the UFC, Sharaputdin Magomedov competed in a grappling matchup last December against Arman Tsarukyan under HYPE FC. Despite giving it his all, the match ended in a draw.

However, the prospective matchup between Alex Pereira and Sharaputdin Magomedov is Pereira’s chance to prove himself to UFC CEO Dana White. White once doubted the Brazilian’s ground game and dismissed a potential Pereira vs. Jon Jones heavyweight bout.

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“No f–king way… Jon’s too big. [Jon is a] great wrestler…It just doesn’t make sense to make that fight,” Dana White said via the UFC 309 post-fight presser.

Now, the question is whether all these developments will push ‘Poatan’ onto the White House event card on June 14. Back in December, Pereira, with a cryptic post, seemed to rule out fighting on the card. However, in a recent social media post showing a tire and hammer, he hinted that a potential fight against Jon Jones is still in the works. This week, Jon Jones dropped a major update on the fight.

Jon Jones speaks out about a potential clash with Alex Pereira

Since July 3, 2025, when Donald Trump announced the UFC White House event while speaking at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Jon Jones was one of the first to go on social media, announcing he wanted to be on the card. Believe it or not, just a few weeks before Trump’s announcement, Jones had officially retired from the UFC. However, Dana White has shut the door on Jon Jones. For most of his career, Dana White supported Jones through his ups and downs.

But when the promotion asked him to put his title on the line against the then-interim champion Tom Aspinall, Jones walked away and retired. Since then, Jones has fallen out of Dana White’s good books. Now, White no longer trusts him to show up, even amid the hype around Jones vs. Alex Pereira at the UFC White House event. Contrary to his initial statements, Jones has also expressed uncertainty in his latest interview.

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, I’m working out and eating healthy, I’m living the lifestyle, I’m walking the walk the way I’ve done it my whole life, and I don’t really know what’s gonna happen,” Jones told The Schmo. “Regardless, I take it one day at a time, some things are just out of my control, but I feel good, I feel blessed, whether I fight again or not, I feel wonderful, and I feel so grateful for this life God granted me with.”

Despite losing hope, nothing is ever completely impossible in the UFC. Everything depends on fan support and social media pressure, and Dana White could still change his mind. Who knows, we might even see Conor McGregor and Jon Jones return on the same night.