Plan B! Alex Poatan leaves open the possibility of a return to the UFC light heavyweight division.

Poatan is thrilled with the fans' support. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

On June 14th, in Washington (USA), Alex Poatan could make MMA history. In the co-main event of UFC Casa Branca , the Brazilian will compete for the interim heavyweight title (up to 120,2 kg) against Ciryl Gane , dreaming of becoming a triple champion of the company. Naturally, the renowned striker is excited about the challenge in the new category, but he is not closing the doors on his 'recent home'.

Poatan left open the possibility of a return to light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) if he fails to beat the Frenchman or adapt well to the most dangerous division in combat sports. And the veteran's 'Plan B' makes sense, as he shone in that category and became a dominant champion. In any case, the Brazilian assures that he only thinks about establishing himself and achieving success in the heavyweight division to expand his legacy in MMA with this unprecedented feat in the UFC.

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“I struggled a bit in the light heavyweight division, but I'm doing well now. Now, I don't need to lose anything. I'll be fine, relaxed, I can eat more. I think I'll only lose weight. I don't know what's happening. I'm doing well in the light heavyweight division too, but we'll see how it goes in this new category. I'm feeling good, excited, enthusiastic, it's what I want and it's not something new,” said the fighter in an interview with the YouTube channel 'The Ariel Helwani Show'.

“Many people, when they lose, like what happened to me, move up a category and then it's all done impulsively. But I've been working on this mentally for a while now and I'm 100% accepted. So, that's why I think it's going to be very good,” he concluded.

Terror of former champions

Alex Poatan , 38, rose to fame in kickboxing with Glory and made his UFC debut in 2021. From there, the Brazilian experienced a meteoric rise, becoming one of the organization's main stars.

Not surprisingly, the athlete won the middleweight (up to 83,9 kg) and light heavyweight (up to 93 kg) belts. Furthermore, the renowned striker has a record that includes former champions: Israel Adesanya , Jamahal Hill , Jan Błachowicz, Jiri Prochazka (twice), Magomed Ankalaev , and Sean Strickland.

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