New UFC middleweight fighter Alex Pereira is “three fights” away from fighting Israel Adesanya for the championship, says Glover Teixeira.

Pereira is a former GLORY kickboxing star who made his UFC debut earlier this month at UFC 268 in spectacular fashion when he knocked out Andreas Michailidis with a flying knee. Considering Pereira holds a previous KO win over Adesanya in kickboxing, his teammate Teixeira believes that win will help him fast-track up the 185lbs ladder and get closer to a title shot against the champ. As far as Teixeira goes, it’s possible that we could see Pereira fight for the UFC middleweight title in just three fights if he continues to look in sharp form.

“(Pereira) is kind of like (me in training) and couldn’t have done better (at UFC 268). He got taken down, he defended takedowns, he got up and he stayed there. You see the other guy come out of the clinch, the guy’s face was all messed up, he was dead tired and he come out with the flying knee. So calm, so relaxed,” Teixeira told MMAFighting.com’s The MMA Hour. “I say three more fights the most, and he wants to fight quick. He wants February already, he wants to fight quick, so he’s going to fight back to back probably. No injuries, no nothing. By this time next year, they’ll be talking about him and Adesanya.”

Pereira has not yet had his second UFC fight booked, but given he is in his mid-30s, it is possible the UFC tries to push him up the ladder quickly and match him up with a top-15 opponent. Ideally, Pereira would get more seasoning before fighting for a belt, but the UFC is always looking for new title challengers at 185lbs and Pereira could be one.

Do you agree with Glover Teixeira that Alex Pereira is three fights away from fighting Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title?