For the second time in 2024, Alex Pereira will save the day.
On Saturday, June 29, ‘Poatan’ will step back inside the Octagon to headline UFC 303. There, he will put his light heavyweight title on the line against the division’s No. 1 ranked contender, Jiri Prochazka, in a rematch of their November 2023 clash that saw Pereira claim the vacated belt via a second-round KO.
Their 205-pound clash was announced a mere 16 days ahead of fight night after the event’s original main event, Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, was scrapped after the Irish megastar sustained an undisclosed injury while training.
On his YouTube channel, Pereira released footage of him taking the call from the UFC, showing both his and his team’s immediate reaction to the offer.
Alex Pereira seeks his third-straight finish at UFC 303
Pereira most recently competed at UFC 300 in April, closing out the show with a stunning first-round knockout against ex-champion Jamahal Hill. ‘Poatan’ later revealed that he had broken a toe in the weeks leading up to fight night and had sustained yet another foot injury during the actual bout.
Still, that didn’t stop him from lobbying for a main event slot at UFC 301.
Next on Pereira’s agenda is going two-up on one of MMA’s most chaotic strikers, Jiri Prochazka. ‘BJP’ climbed back into the No. 1 contender’s spot with an impressive come-from-behind knockout of Aleksandar Raki? at UFC 300, a few short hours before ‘Poatan’ turned ‘Sweet Dreams’ into a meme.
