Alex Pereira has laughed off Ji?í Procházka’s accusations that he uses occult practices to win his fights.
Pereira and Procházka have squared off twice inside the Octagon, with their first encounter being a battle for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 295 in November 2023, where “Poatan” claimed a second-round TKO victory. The two crossed paths once more at UFC 303 last June, where the Brazilian secured another second-round finish, but with a much more dominant performance.
Ahead of their rematch, “Denisa” made some interesting allegations, claiming that Pereira relies on dark magic and dubious spiritual rituals to manipulate his opponents, ultimately leading him to victory in his fights.
In his recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Procházka reiterated his accusations, insisting that Pereira’s use of black magic is the “biggest power” he wields over his opponents.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani on Monday, “Poatan” responded to the Czech fighter’s allegations, underscoring that he places his trust in his faith and a genuine passion for fair competition, rather than any supernatural influence.
“All respect to him, but no man,” Pereira said through a translator. “I’m a god-fearing man. I have God in my heart… He’s just saying these things; I’ve never participated in any of those things. I’m a regular person. If he really believed that, take a doll, tie my hands and feet, and then fight me, like that’s going to work?”
Pereira, who is preparing for his fourth title defense against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, further shared that if his two-time adversary can move past his allegations, they could potentially deliver fans an electrifying trilogy bout in the future.
“With all respect to him, and honestly speaking, if we went and fought again a third time and if he put all this [allegations] aside and just fought, I think we would be able to give a much better fight…I don’t want to fight guys who are cheating, no, I want to fight them at their best…at their prime. A guy that’s ready, gets the fire in him and thinks ‘I want to beat this guy’. And if they’re at their best, there’s no reason to talk about this kind of stuff.”
“Poatan” is fresh off a hard-fought knockout victory over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in October, successfully defending his title.
Meanwhile, Procházka delivered a devastating third-round knockout against former champion Jamahal Hill at UFC 311, positioning himself to make a strong case for a return to the title picture.