Khamzat Chimaev has always teased a potential fight with Alex Pereira even before they held titles in the UFC middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, respectively, but “Borz’s” coach Alan “Finfou” do Nascimento would advise “Poatan” against such superfight if he was part of his team.
Chimaev beat Dricus du Plessis in 2025 to claim the 185-pound championship and is currently targeting a June return for his first title defense. Pereira is contemplating a move to heavyweight for a chance to become the first fighter to win UFC titles in three difference divisions.
For Chimaev’s grappling coach, “I would definitely move up to heavyweight” if he were in Pereira’s shoes because, financially speaking, the Brazilian would be the A-side of almost every fight he enters today. And fighting to add another title to his resume “would be something never done or seen before in the organization’s history,” therefore bigger than a title defense.
“Risks have always existed for him, even before he was in the UFC,” Nascimento told MMA Fighting. “For him, that doesn’t make a difference. Anyone he fights carries a risk. But for his legacy, to build a story never seen before. I would move up, fight the champion, become champion, win the third belt, and from then on, have someone build a statue of me. Every time you pass by, you ask for a blessing [laughs].”
“If we think from ‘Poatan’s’ side, if I were ‘Poatan’ or his coach or anyone close to him, it wouldn’t make sense to fight Chimaev,” he continued. “I’m not talking about risk. I’m simply saying that today ‘Poatan’ has the opportunity to achieve something no one has ever done, to fight for a third belt. … But for his legacy, for the history he can build, and simply because it would be something never done or seen before, I wouldn’t accept a fight with Chimaev and would obviously move up to heavyweight to fight the champion and win the third belt.”
Nascimento said that Chimaev would need proper time to gain weight for a potential move to light heavyweight and that is “not something you do overnight.” However, they would get the work done for a chance at the 205-pound championship — even if Pereira wasn’t sitting at that throne.
“From a financial standpoint, it would definitely sell a lot,” Nascimento said. “If it weren’t against ‘Poatan,’ but another guy for the belt, then obviously we would accept it because there’s a bigger purpose, a second title. But moving up just to fight anyone who doesn’t sell as much and doesn’t have a title on the line, in my opinion, that wouldn’t be viable. But if the UFC says anything, and Chimaev is open for it, we just obey and go forward.”
Nascimento credits Pereira and Chimaev as phenomenal athletes with “unbreakable minds” after rising from rough beginnings to become superstars in the sport, and sees no surprises in how that fight would play out.
“There’s no secret that both sides would try to keep the fight in their own area, their comfort zone,” Nascimento said. “I believe that if Chimaev couldn’t get the takedown, he would run a serious risk of being knocked out. And if Chimaev gets the takedown and gets to a position, we’d have a great chance to submit. The fight would be a clash of styles and qualities. Whoever manages to impose their game and bring the fight into their territory as quickly as possible would start to take control.
“What would surprise me is if ‘Poatan’ took Chimaev down [laughs]. I don’t think that will happen, but a fight is a fight. Just like Chimaev could shock the world by knocking out ‘Poatan.’ Or ‘Poatan’ could shock the world by submitting Chimaev. Taking him down, passing, mounting and taking the back. Outside of fantasy scenarios, I believe the fight would be more like that. Whoever imposes their strategy, reaches where they want, and keeps the fight there would have the best chance of winning that night.”
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