Alex Pereira successfully defended his light heavyweight title for the third time in 2024, defeating Khalil Rountree by fourth-round TKO at UFC 307. Despite being the most active champion of the year, he remains ranked No. 2 in the pound-for-pound list.

Conor McGregor disagrees with this ranking, asserting that Pereira deserves the top spot and expressing interest in seeing him move up to heavyweight. In an interview with The Schmo, McGregor was asked about Pereira’s potential transition, to which he replied:

“Yeah, I think that would be a viable next move for him. The weight cut seems tough; he might have struggled a bit. His coach mentioned that he was under the weather and on antibiotics, which makes everything harder. So maybe he’s okay at light heavyweight.”

McGregor also indicated that if Magomed Ankalaev isn’t Pereira’s next opponent, he’d love to see him attempt to become a three-division champion. When discussing the pound-for-pound rankings, McGregor emphasized:

“2024 has been Alex Pereira’s year. No one can deny that. Forget belts; it’s about competition. Four fights this year, four KOs, and his most impressive one was the most recent. I’d put Alex at No. 1.”

In addition, McGregor expressed interest in a potential matchup between Pereira and Jon Jones, suggesting that Pereira’s fighting style could present a challenge for the heavyweight champion. Jones has hinted that his upcoming bout with Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 may be his last in a legendary career.

Following his busy year, Pereira has hinted at a break after his latest victory. In an Instagram statement, he expressed gratitude to his fans, saying:

“Thank you so much for all the support from my fans. All that love drives me to train hard and perform my best. This year I had three fights and ended with three wins. With my last fight, I feel it marks the end of a cycle. The support and love from Dana White and my team after the fight excite me for what the future holds in the UFC.”

Pereira began his 2024 campaign by knocking out Jamahal Hill in the first round at UFC 300 in April, followed by a second-round TKO victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. His latest title defense against Rountree solidified his status in the division.