Resulting from his unmatched success within the three-plus years since making his Octagon debut and the willingness he has proven to avoid wasting the day for the promotion on the final minute, there has grow to be rising sentiment that, as unlikely because it as soon as sounded, Alex Pereira is the present face of the UFC.
The 2-division champion, who at present holds the UFC’s mild heavyweight title, will return on Saturday at UFC 303 simply two months faraway from bailing out the promotion when he accepted a late provide to struggle former champion Jamahal Hill. Like all however two of Pereira’s eight UFC appearances, that struggle ended by way of knockout.
However though Pereira (10-2) entered UFC 300 in April with a damaged toe and exited the promotion’s greatest occasion of the yr with an extra damaged toe, he was nonetheless capable of reply the decision a second time. Sarcastically, Pereira’s return at Saturday’s UFC 303 pay-per-view occasion in Las Vegas, which comes because the crown jewel of Worldwide Combat Week, comes as a late alternative for Conor McGregor, the most important star in UFC historical past, who pulled out extraordinarily late for his struggle in opposition to Michael Chandler with … a damaged toe.
In the event you’re keen to entertain the concept of the 36-year-old Pereira as probably the most worthwhile entity the UFC at present has, the fighter generally known as “Poatan” is not right here to argue with you.
“I agree,” Pereira instructed CBS Sports activities final week. “It is laborious to speak about myself however I’ve been preventing rather a lot and have been doing rather a lot. I see lots of different athletes doing lots of issues, too, however I really feel like proper now I’m on the forefront.
“I am at all times ready for something that may occur. I am at all times evolving and I am additionally at all times fairly near weight in order that I am out there in the event that they name me. I actually imagine that it’s a must to tackle these alternatives.”
The chance in query this weekend inside T-Cellular Enviornment is a rematch in opposition to former champion Jiri Prochazka (30-4-1), who was stopped by Pereira of their first assembly for the vacant 205-pound title at UFC 295 final November. Each fighters additionally should face the identical 77-day turnaround as every scored stoppage victories at UFC 300.
However given Pereira’s quick and opportunistic historical past as a UFC fighter, which noticed him transition to MMA late in his profession after a Corridor of Fame run as a two-division champion with Glory kickboxing, it is not shocking that he would settle for the chance which comes together with the massive payday that comes with changing McGregor above the marquee within the UFC’s most necessary summer time blockbuster.
In simply eight UFC fights, Pereira is 7-1 with six knockouts, has received titles in two divisions and holds wins over former champions akin to Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya, Jan Blachowicz, Prochazka and Hill.
“I believe one of many best components is my age,” Pereira stated. “I need to do lots of issues nonetheless and I really feel like I nonetheless have lots of fights left in me. I’ve seen lots of people say that it is a mistake or that it is too quickly or too large of a threat. In all honesty, I am the one one who can reply that. I understand how I really feel proper now. Resulting from my age, lots of issues can occur so I actually imagine in taking these alternatives.
“Clearly, I am making good cash so it is worthwhile for me however it’s a must to soar on the alternatives that you’ve got been given.”
Pereira additionally is not keen to mock McGregor for pulling out with the identical damage that he continues to push via (whereas sustaining his present three-fight win streak).
“I haven’t got McGregor’s life but or the cash that he has acquired,” Pereira stated. “I felt that was a chance I wanted to take at 36. In fact, it is an enormous threat for me to struggle with a damaged toe and could be for McGregor. He is able the place perhaps he can give it some thought and say it is not well worth the threat. That is solely as much as him to determine. I can not say what I’d have executed if I used to be in his related state of affairs. I simply felt like I wanted to struggle and proceed on with that chance.”
As a byproduct of his traditionally distinctive success within the UFC, which has already seen Pereira headline 4 PPV occasions in lower than 4 years, together with twice at New York’s Madison Sq. Backyard, the resident of Connecticut has seen his profile rise considerably. He has grow to be an envoy for the sports activities betting web site Stake and will see his identify grow to be nothing in need of a family one throughout the globe ought to luck and timing proceed to go his approach.
Ought to Pereira defeat Prochazka a second time on Saturday, the opportunity of a superfight in opposition to heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who is predicted to return this fall in opposition to long-time division king Stipe Miocic, is not unrealistic. Despite the fact that Jones has teased retirement and seems to be tired of interim titleholder Tom Aspinall, it is a ponder whether Pereira has sufficient goodwill with the corporate constructed as much as ask for such a monumental struggle, which may maintain Jones round ought to they each win.
Pereira wouldn’t solely enter the possibility to grow to be the primary three-division champion in UFC historical past in opposition to Jones however by proxy of dealing with off in opposition to the game’s G.O.A.T. would give Pereira his finest shot at making a declare for a similar distinction.
All of this is able to have been unthinkable just some years in the past to everybody from MMA historians to even Pereira, himself.
“This wasn’t a giant plan for me to go and take the middleweight and now the sunshine heavyweight belt,” Pereira stated. “My objective, as quickly as I entered the UFC, was to grow to be the middleweight champion. Then, I noticed that the load reduce was taking a toll on me and we had the chance to maneuver up. However now, individuals are asking me about heavyweight.
“I even requested [UFC] to have one struggle at heavyweight however that was only one struggle. You may make certain that if I am getting in to do one thing, that I am making an attempt to be the very best.”