Alex Pereira is still confident he will face Jon Jones as he moves up to UFC’s heavyweight division.

Pereira is looking to conquer his third division in June, challenging Ciryl Gane for the Interim Heavyweight title, having previously held the UFC Middleweight and Light Heavyweight titles. He vacated the Light Heavyweight title only recently as the move up the weights was being solidified, and will be looking to match what Jon Jones has done previously. 

Prior to the Gane fight being confirmed, however, Jones had long been the fight touted for Pereira in his move to heavyweight — so much so that when confronted with the idea of facing then-Interim Champion Tom Aspinall, Jones made it clear that he wanted the Pereira fight and would not settle for less. Jones has since retired from the sport, entered negotiations to return, and asked for his release after being told he was done as things stood. 

Despite all of that, Pereira maintained to Ariel Helwani that he is confident the fight can and will be made. He doesn’t see UFC letting him go from his deal, leaving just one option if he wants to fight. 

“I believe it happens because he has to be released from UFC,” Pereira said, maintaining that the Jones fight will be plausible if he wins his fight in June. “I don’t think the UFC’s going to release him any time soon. So if he wants to fight who’s it going to be against? It’s going to be against [me].”

Alex Pereira explains why he believes he will still face Jon Jones:

“I believe it happens because he has to be released from the UFC, and I don’t think the UFC is going to release him anytime soon.

If he wants to fight, who’s going to be against him? It’s going to be against… pic.twitter.com/duEJsYCDmm

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 16, 2026

Pereira confirmed that he had signed a new eight-fight deal with UFC, agreeing to vacate the Light Heavyweight title in the process, and sees himself finishing his career at heavyweight. He said that UFC offered a deal that made it easy to give up his title, and could get back to light heavyweight if needed, but didn’t see that as necessary for the time-being.

“The Jeff Jarrett Story: Heart of a Promoter” was recently released by Jarrett himself through his podcast partner Conrad Thompson. The documentary focuses on his journey through the industry from WCW to the creation of TNA Wrestling and GFW.

In a special episode ahead of the release of the documentary, Jarrett went into some behind-the-scenes commentary about the industry during his rise and how it felt like to be the subject of the documentary. 

“I feel honored, humbled, but uncomfortable,” Jarrett admitted during an episode of his “My World” podcast. “Man, oh, man, it was the wild-wild west. I know, as a talent, and travel, a lot of grind going on.” 

Jarrett is notably not the only veteran to enjoy a documentary about his life and career in recent years. The late Sabu was the subject of a documentary filmed right before his final pro wrestling match on April 18th at GCW Spring Break 9. At the time of filming, Sabu was still alive, so the documentary features the ECW legend commenting on several aspects of his career. Despite his in-ring ability and willingness to put his body on the line, Sabu never picked up many accolades, and, based on the trailers released before the documentary, this was a central point of his story. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “My World w/Jeff Jarrett” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

One of All Elite Wrestling’s biggest mysteries can be traced back to the March 3, 2021 edition of “AEW Dynamite,” during which NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Jade Cargill defeated Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet in mixed tag team competition. En route to victory, O’Neal crashed through a pair of tables, prompting officials to load him into an ambulance. When AEW broadcaster Tony Schiavone later checked on O’Neal’s condition, though, he was nowhere to be seen.

Speaking with “TMZ’s Inside The Ring,” AEW CEO Tony Khan addressed O’Neal’s yet-to-be-solved disappearance. “Stay tuned,” he said when directly asked what happened to O’Neal. “One of these days it is going to happen. It is a good reason to stay tuned. It has been years, but I know eventually that mystery will be solved. Shaq and his whereabouts when they went to check the ambulance, they will find him. People ask me every day, I get all the time, ‘where is Shaq?'”

Rhodes caused himself and O’Neal to plummet through the tables when he delivered a crossbody over the top rope. From there, Cargill managed to survive a spear from Velvet before laying her out with a Jaded for the team victory.

Years before his in-ring “Dynamite” debut, O’Neal stepped into the ring to compete in the 2016 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WWE WrestleMania 32. In 2011, he officially retired from basketball after memorable years with the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, and other teams.

“For me, growing up as a big Lakers fan and now not only having been able to go to so many Laker games over the years there, but now to bring AEW there,” Khan said. “For me, one of the highlights of everything we’ve ever done in AEW was to have Shaq in AEW.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “TMZ’s Inside The Ring” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s live coverage for “WWE NXT” on March 17, 2026, coming to you live from the 713 Music Hall in Houston, Texas!

Tatum Paxley may have dethroned Izzi Dame of The Culling as Women’s North American Champion at “NXT” Vengeance Day on March 7, but tonight, Dame has the chance to regain the title when the two square off in a Steel Cage Match. Dame interrupted Paxley during last Tuesday’s episode of “NXT” and a verbal confrontation ensued between the pair that ended with Dame surprising Paxley with a sit-out powerbomb thanks to some assistance from her stablemates Shawn Spears and Niko Vance. Later that same night, Shiloh Hill helped Paxley take off the tires to The Culling’s car as retribution.

Jacy Jayne of Fatal Influence will be putting the NXT Women’s Championship will be putting the NXT Women’s Championship on the line tonight as she defends against Zaria and Sol Ruca in a Triple Threat Match. With Jayne having retained her title against Zaria on the March 3 episode of “NXT” thanks to interference at the hands of Ruca, Ruca scored a victory against Jayne’s stablemate Lainey Reid in singles competition last Tuesday.

Fallon Henley will be putting the WWE Women’s Speed Championship on the line for the first time on television since defeating the aforementioned Zaria to become titleholder at Night Two of the “NXT” Gold Rush television special on November 25, 2025 as she defends against WrenQCC’s Wren Sinclair. Sinclair defeated Nikkita Lyons and Thea Hail in the first round and finals of a WWE Women’s Speed Championship Number One Contenders Tournament respectively on the March 3 episode of “NXT” and last Tuesday’s show to secure her spot in tonight’s match.

Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes of Vanity Project will be finding out who their next challengers for their NXT Tag Team Championship will be, as two unnamed members of Birthright will be taking on Hank Walker and Tank Ledger in a Number One Contenders Match. Birthright gained a new member last Tuesday when Charlie Dempsey turned his back on Tavion Heights in the midst of a tag team match that pitted the two men against Lexis King and Uriah Connors.

Additionally, the aforementioned Baylor, Smokes, and their stablemate EVOLVE Champion Jackson Drake will be squaring off with Los Americanos’ El Grande Americano (who resembles Ludwig Kaiser), Bravo Americano, and Rayo Americano in a Six Man Tag Team Match. Booker T Appreciation Night is also set to be held in Booker T’s hometown as announced by Booker’s commentary counterpart Vic Joseph last Tuesday.