Pereira has now defended his UFC light heavyweight title three times in the span of seven months, most recently with a brutal fourth-round TKO of Khalil Rountree this past Saturday at UFC 307. Pereira, who also held the UFC middleweight title, now has as many title defenses as Cormier did at 205 pounds.

In an interview with The Schmo, Conor McGregor weighed in on Pereira’s dominance, asserting that no one could deny his spot at the top after such a stellar year. McGregor went so far as to call Pereira the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

In less than three years as a UFC fighter, Alex Pereira has accomplished more than most superstars have done in 10-15 years of activity. Pereira, the 37-year-old Brazilian slugger