Glover Teixeira, the former UFC champion who is a key cog in Alex Pereira’s camp, says that the organisation’s reigning 205-pound champion would be an effective threat in the UFC’s heavyweight fold.

Brazil’s Pereira has been something of a trailblazer since entering the UFC in late 2021, winning eight of nine fights, world titles in two divisions and headlining historic events in Madison Square Garden and this year’s UFC 300 card. But as far as former Teixeira is concerned, Pereira has not yet hit the ceiling of his potential accomplishments in the fight league.

Amid the ongoing Jones-Miocic logjam atop the heavyweight division, interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been mentioned in the press as a potential foil for Pereira should be look to add more gold to a trophy cabinet already showing 205 and 185-pound accolades.

And Teixeira is confident his man would be able to repeat his achievements opposite the UFC’s big boys.

“We talked about it since the beginning. I said to him, ‘You’re going to get bigger because of the wrestling training, and eventually you’re going to have to move up,’” Teixeira said, via RG.org. “That’s a lot of weight, and he didn’t have that much to lose. He’s very lean.

“I think I feel comfortable now with 205, happy with the weight cuts,” he added. “But also I’ll be happy if he moves up. I think he has the potential to beat anyone at heavyweight. The guy is a beast, man. His strength is like a heavyweight, he hits like a heavyweight. So it’ll be no problem.”