Two-time UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira will vacate his belt and make the move up to heavyweight.
In a Friday night stunner, UFC CEO Dana White announced that Alex Pereira was vacating his UFC light heavyweight title for the chance to make history.
White shared the news of Pereira’s light heavyweight title vacation in a recent Instagram live stream.
As for what’s next for the UFC light heavyweight division, White shared that former titleholder Jiri Prochazka and surging contender Carlos Ulberg will now fight for the vacant light heavyweight title in the UFC 327 main event in Miami. Prochazka vs. Ulberg headlines a stacked card on April 11th, featuring a flyweight title co-main event between new champion Joshua Van and Tatsuro Taira.
This marks the first time that the UFC light heavyweight division hasn’t had Pereira in the title discussion for years. For Prochazka, it’s a chance at redemption after suffering two past losses to Pereira to stop his chances at securing a second title reign.
As for Ulberg, the talented Australian could potentially cap off his remarkable run through the light heavyweight Top 15 with a championship victory. If victorious, he’ll become the second New Zealand-born champion in UFC history.
Alex Pereira vacates LHW belt; Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg set
Pereira’s title vacation is the biggest seismic shift in the UFC landscape so far in 2026, and comes at a time when the UFC heavyweight division is in desperate need of star power. After Jon Jones’s abrupt retirement and Tom Aspinall’s uncertain future due to injury, Pereira will likely fight for a heavyweight title in his divisional debut.
Pereira reclaimed the UFC light heavyweight belt when he knocked out Magomed Ankalaev in their UFC 320 rematch last year.
Aspinall’s first UFC heavyweight title defense ended disastrously as his fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 was ruled a no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue due to accidental eye pokes in the first round. The heavyweight champion recently underwent another surgery on both of his eyes, and he’s admitted his fighting future remains foggy.
Will Alex Pereira win a UFC heavyweight title? Let us know your predictions in the comments!