“I don’t think I’m done, right?” said Alex Pereira’s coach last month while speaking with Ariel Helwani, as he signaled a possible return to competition. During the interview, Plinio Cruz does not name a promotion, but he pointed toward influencer-driven platforms like Misfits and Jake Paul’s MVP.

For over five years, Cruz played a crucial role in Pereira’s rise and helped him become a two-division champion. Now, he wanted to step out on his own and test himself inside the boxing ring, even if it was just for one fight. While he had not finalized an opponent yet, Plinio Cruz had already turned his attention toward Andrew Tate’s former opponent through a recent social media post.

Alex Pereira’s coach eyes Andrew Tate’s ex-opponent

“I guess @ChaseDeMoor wants me to take him to school,” wrote Plinio Cruz on X. “Should I take him to Chama class at @MisfitsBoxing?”

Cruz, however, did not make that response out of nowhere. Last month, after he appeared in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Chase DeMoor, in turn, shared a clip from the conversation on X and sparked the exchange by hinting at a callout in the caption.

“I’ll beat him up and then his fighter next,” wrote Chase DeMoor on X, suggesting he could also target Alex Pereira in the future.

Now, nearly a month later, Cruz finally responds to DeMoor’s callout. In turn, he also gives the green light for a potential matchup, which could take place under Misfits. However, it still remains interesting to see when and how the fight gets booked, as it would pit an MMA coach of a legendary fighter against an actor-turned-boxer.

Speaking of Chase DeMoor’s career, he has been competing in boxing since 2022, taking part in both professional and exhibition bouts. However, much of his early run stays under the radar until last year, when he made a name for himself by defeating former kickboxing champion and internet figure Andrew Tate in a six-round heavyweight bout in December under Misfits Boxing.

Since then, he fought three more times and picked up knockout victories over Fernando Miguel Tamayo, Luis Alberto Velasco, and, most recently, Diego Perez. Now shifting focus to Alex Pereira’s coach, Plinio Cruz, who is nearly 40 years old, he retired from MMA in 2019 after finishing a 17-fight professional career. He competed in promotions like Bellator and Cage Fury; however, his overall MMA run did not stand out, as he suffered nine losses before eventually hanging up his gloves and moving into coaching.

So, what brought Cruz back into combat sports, this time in boxing? The answer appeared to be his longtime student.

‘Poatan’ shows support for his coach’s return

Since his MMA debut, Alex Pereira has, in turn, achieved in a short time what most mixed martial artists only dream of. He becomes a two-division champion and one of the promotion’s biggest faces. Now, rumors also link him to the cover of the upcoming EA Sports UFC 6 game, which is set to release soon.

However, Pereira still stays hungry for glory as he chases a historic third championship. He will look to achieve that at the upcoming UFC White House event on June 14, where he steps into the cage to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt. His coach, Plinio Cruz, also stands in his corner for the bout. After that, Cruz, in turn, plans to transition into boxing, a move Pereira strongly supports.

“I told Plinio, he has to have at least one boxing match,” said Alex Pereira, “Not with an influencer, but with a real fighter, pick a good guy, because he’s doing really well. I fully support him having a boxing match; he’ll make good money, too. Plinio has a name. I’m motivating him.”

At the same time, Alex Pereira continues to show strong support for his coach’s boxing ambitions, including a potential matchup against Chase DeMoor, as he publicly backs the idea on X.

MMA fans have witnessed former UFC star Mike Perry make a successful transition to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. After his 14-8 MMA career, he holds an unbeaten six-fight record in BKFC. With that said, Cruz could make a career for himself in combat sports if things go right for him.

Do you think this matchup suits Plinio Cruz? Drop your take below.

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