Alex Pereira has said his appearance on the UFC White House card is a ‘no go.’
The UFC light heavyweight champion has been linked to a blockbuster super-fight with Jon Jones on the White House card ever since he reclaimed the title at UFC 320.
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Pereira reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight title in October and called out Jon Jones for a heavyweight clash in the aftermathCredit: Getty
After knocking out Magomed Ankalaev in 80 seconds, Pereira called out Jones and has since expressed his desire to move up to heavyweight several times.
Jones reversed his decision to retire in July to fight at UFC White House, which is set to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States on Donald Trump’s birthday in June 2026.
The American gladly accepted Pereira’s call-out at the time, but it now seems unlikely, given the latter’s latest cryptic social media post.
Alex Pereira gives update on UFC White House fight
“Looks like the White House is a NO GO!!!” Pereira wrote via Instagram on Monday alongside a photo of himself and UFC CEO Dana White.
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Members of the MMA fraternity have since raised questions over what exactly Pereira means, suggesting the UFC most likely want the Brazilian to fight earlier than June.
Responding to Pereira’s post on X, one fan said: “That means no Jon Jones vs ‘Poatan’ huh…”
Another added: “Wasn’t this meant to be the biggest and best fight card ever? If you don’t have the biggest star currently on the card, it’s gonna struggle.”
A third wrote: “The White House card is shaping up to be a disaster. We’re gonna be getting a Colby [Covington] main event at this rate.”
Another said: “They must be planning Jon vs Francis [Ngannou]. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Pereira is probably the biggest star in MMA right now.”
While a fifth responded: “So no Alex, and no Ilia [Topuria]. What is even the point of this card?”
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Jones vs Pereira is now a big doubt after the Brazilian’s latest social media postCredit: Getty
No. 3-ranked UFC light heavyweight Carlos Ulberg is the current frontrunner to fight Pereira next for the belt.
The pair could be booked to headline UFC 327 in late April as part of the promotion’s new broadcast deal with Paramount+.
UFC 327 has not been announced yet, but it would need a main event with a big name like Pereira, with champions such as Tom Aspinall and Ilia Topuria all currently out of action.
The event will follow the UFC’s visit to Las Vegas, Sydney, Houston, Mexico City, and London in a packed start to the 2026 schedule.