LAS VEGAS — Alex Pereira started out as a champion kickboxer before moving to the UFC and winning title belts at middleweight and light heavyweight.
And after a dominant win over top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka on Saturday night at UFC 303, that might not be the end of his fighting game.
Pereira could move up to heavyweight and achieve something no UFC fighter has ever accomplished before: winning championships in three weight classes.
He landed a powerful left kick to the head of Prochazka, then regained his footing and punched away to end the bout 13 seconds into the second round and retain his light heavyweight title.
“I think it’s in my future,” Pereira, a Brazilian, said through a translator. “I said that the last time I was here too. I’m here and I’m available any time and I think that’s what’s best for me.”
UFC president Dana White said he has no plans to make a decision yet, despite expressing respect for heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
“We’ll see how this plays out,” White said.
Pereira (11-2) has defeated Prochazka (30-5-1) twice since November, erasing any doubts about who will rule the weight class.
Most of the drama at UFC 303 occurred outside the Octagon over the weekend and even in the hours leading up to the event.
“It’s been a tough month,” White said, “but it’s been hard work, but it’s been fun.”
When Brian Ortega withdrew from the co-main event due to illness, a last-minute change was necessitated and the judges had to act quickly.
Dan Ige is already training for another fight in Las Vegas, where he will face Diego Lopez in a lightweight bout.
All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Brazil’s Lopez (25-6).
Ige (18-8), who is originally from Honolulu but lives in Las Vegas, drew loud cheers for showing up almost unannounced.
The UFC also rushed to pair Pereira with Prochazka after Conor McGregor was forced to withdraw from the main event with a broken toe.
They had about two weeks to prepare, after Pereira’s vacation in Australia was interrupted and Prochaska was interrupted during a three-day meditation retreat.
Among the sellout crowd of 18,881 was New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sat next to former Green Bay Packers teammate Mercedes Lewis.
Lewis currently plays as a tight end for the Chicago Bears.
The $15.9 million ticket tally was the fourth-highest in UFC history, and White had hoped to break the record, but without McGregor’s star power, that may be difficult to achieve.
The highest ticket price was $17.7 million for UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in New York in November 2016.
Pereira and Prochazka engaged in a lengthy standoff that continued through Bruce Buffer’s player introductions and referee Herb Dean’s instructions.
The two fighters showed great synchronicity in the opening rounds, but the end of the bout gave a strong hint of what was to come.
Pereira knocked Prochazka down with a left hand, but only after the bell had sounded.
And Pereira finished the job.
“I kept saying all week I was going to go out there and win,” said Pereira, who turns 37 on July 7. “I just didn’t know how I was going to win.”
Prochaska, 31, from the Czech Republic, did not make a media appearance.
If Pereira moves up to heavyweight, it could help Prochazka reclaim the belt he briefly held two years ago.
No. 2-ranked challenger Magomed Ankalaev and No. 3-ranked Jamahal Ghir could also have a major impact on determining the division’s champion.
Hill was originally scheduled to compete in the co-main event, but was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury sustained in training.
The bout between Prochaska and Pereira was a rematch of their previous bout on November 11 at Madison Square Garden.
Pereira won that night by technical knockout at 4 minutes and 8 seconds into the second round to claim the vacant light heavyweight championship.
Pereira then secured his retention of the belt with a first-round knockout of former titleholder Hill at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on April 13.
On the same card, Prochazka defeated Aleksandar Rakic by TKO in the second round, setting himself up for a sooner-than-expected rematch.
Mayra Bueno Silva (10-4-1) suffered a large cut in their bantamweight bout, which led the ring doctor to stop Macy Chiasson (11-3) at 1 minute, 58 seconds into the second round. Silva, blood streaming from her face, asked to continue.
