Former undisputed middleweight champion, Alex Pereira has hit out at former light heavyweight title challenger, Anthony Smith – after the Nebraska native questioned if the power of the Brazilian had translated since his 205lbs leap, referring to the former as a “washed-up veteran’.
Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight champion, most recently co-headlined UFC 291 back in July in Salt Lake City, Utah – securing a split decision win over former undisputed champion, Jan Blachowicz in his light heavyweight divisional bow.
As for Smith, the former Bellator MMA contender recorded his first victory since 2021 over the course of the weekend in the co-main event of UFC Singapore, landed a split decision win of his own over Ryan Spann in the pair’s rematch – having previously submitted the latter in the opening round in his last win.
Alex Pereira goes scorched earth on Anthony Smith after UFC Singapore
And reacting to Smith’s thoughts on his ability at the light heavyweight limit since his summer move, Pereira has gone scorched earth on the veteran, claiming he “never amounted to anything”.
“I always see him [Anthony Smith] talking, especially about me,” Alex Pereira said on his official YouTube channel. “He talks really bad, I don’t know what he has against me but he criticized other athletes too, saying the athlete didn’t make weight and a guy who in Glover [Teixeira’s] fight in Rio de Janeiro was a backup and the guy didn’t make weight. It shows why he’s not successful. Because someone who’s going to be a backup fighter, he takes it easy, unlike Glover.”
“If there’s one guy doing well and another guy only criticizing, people aren’t stupid,” Alex Pereira explained. “They’ll see what’s going on. They’ll see that he’s just a bitter man. The only ones who speak bad about me are Anthony Smith-types. Washed-up vets who never amounted to anything, who are still fighting. They’re in a really tight spot or the guy who is still a nobody but those who are already doing well. I don’t see them talking about me, you know? It’s the one who are beneath me.”