On Friday, Dana White’s announcement of the UFC 327 headliner clarified Alex Pereira’s next move. While Jiri Prochazka and Carlos Ulberg will clash for the vacant belt in Miami, ‘Poatan’ will move up to the heavyweight division. But if you think the Brazilian juggernaut will aim for a third belt, then think again because Jon Jones’ latest fight update might pour cold water on that dream.

The former two-weight division champion has been one of the frontrunners to feature at the UFC White House event. And despite a few hiccups in the process, ‘Bones’ revealed that he is in negotiations with the promotion to return at the June 14 spectacle.

Jon Jones reveals positive negotiations with UFC ahead of White House event

“I’m in negotiations with the UFC about this White House thing,” Jones said at a recent event, posted by ACD MMA on X. “I’m a proud American, I can’t wait to represent one more time,” he added.

For a while, Jon Jones and the UFC’s relationship was not the smoothest, as Dana White showed reluctance about him headlining the White House event. The UFC CEO even publicly stated that he did not fully trust ‘Bones’ to handle the June 14 card. However, that tension now appears to have eased, with the former two-division champion sharing a positive update. But how does this affect Alex Pereira’s chances of fighting for a third belt?

Even though ‘Poatan’ understands the opportunity to become the first three-weight UFC champion, he has remained fixated on a legacy showdown with Jones at the White House. The two-time light heavyweight champion recently called ‘Bones’ out in his own way, writing Jones’ name on a tire, adding a personal touch to the challenge. Pereira also teased a move toward a third title, but those indications have not carried the same intensity as his callouts directed at Jones.

So, if Pereira ultimately chooses to fight Jon Jones, his ambition of chasing a third belt could be put on hold, as ‘Poatan’ would instead clash with arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time. And with the already growing buzz around that match-up, ‘Bones’ bitter rival just added some fuel to it.

Daniel Cormier believes ‘Poatan’ will fight for the world title

Purely as a fight, Daniel Cormier believes Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones would be the spectacle needed for the UFC White House event. However, the former two-division champion also anticipates that ‘Poatan’ vacated the belt for a reason and is more likely positioning himself to fight for a third title at the White House.

“When I look at everything, when I take the whole picture in, I dream first, and I cross my fingers, and I wish that it is Jones vs. Pereira,” DC said in his YouTube video. “But I also stay cautious in the idea that if it doesn’t happen, it’s someone else. And if it is someone else, it has to be Ciryl Gane, right? Because who else could it be to fight Alex Pereira? But big news? That’s massive.

“It’s massive that he’s up at 245 lb and that he vacated the championship. Because if he vacated the title, guys I’m telling you, I believe that he’s going to fight for the world title,” he added.

Cormier is not wrong in thinking a Pereira vs. Jones headliner on June 14 would feed families. But concurrently, ‘Poatan’s relevance may actually gain more momentum at heavyweight, where he could become the first-ever three-division champion by facing Ciryl Gane for either an interim or undisputed title, while Tom Aspinall is recovering from an eye injury. What would Pereira choose? That remains uncertain. But either way, the 205 lbs king would indeed end up making a boatload of cash.

That said, do you think Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira will finally headline the White House event? Let us know in the comments section below.