Alex Poatan spoke again about the possibility of moving up to the UFC heavyweight division (up to 120,2kg) and making history as the first fighter to win three belts in different divisions.
In an interview with the website The Mac Life, the Brazilian, who holds the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg.) stated that he has the size and height to face the giants of the category, but that he needs adequate planning to make the transition.
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“I fought at middleweight and had to rebuild my body to be able to fight at light heavyweight. I am a fighter. I will fight anyone, anywhere. I'm the height and size of a heavyweight, but that's something that has to be programmed, a little bit of work. It's not just something I do. I want to do things the right way. I can definitely fight at heavyweight, maybe someday in the future. But it has to be something well planned. So now I’m focused on my light heavyweight reign,” said Poatan.
Alex Poatan in UFC
Poatan, who has a record of nine wins and two losses in MMA, became the first Brazilian double champion in UFC history by knocking out Jiri Prochazka in the second round of the main event at UFC 295 in November 2023.
Prior to that, he had already won the middleweight title (up to 83,9 kg) by defeating Israel Adesanya , also by knockout. With these achievements, he was named "Fighter of the Year" in 2023 by Robert Whittaker , former middleweight champion.
The Brazilian still doesn't have a set date to defend his light heavyweight title, but he already has some potential opponents in mind, such as Magomed Ankalaev , Johnny Walker , and Jamahal Hill . Meanwhile, he continues training at Teixeira MMA & Fitness in Connecticut (USA), under the guidance of Glover Teixeira , who is his friend and mentor.
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