Alex Pereira was being followed at Walmart.
But the unidentified stalker was not store security nor was it some crazy fan trying to become Insta-famous. Instead, it was an agent from United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who wasn’t leaving town without a glass of Brazilian lemonade.
It’s unclear if Pereira had his receipt checked by Nick Diaz before exiting the store.
“To be honest, that video started as a joke,” Pereira’s interpreter explained at the UFC 291 media day. “He pranks a lot. When he was leaving his house that day to go to Walmart, actually USADA came to his house. The guy had to follow him to Walmart. He made that prank like somebody was chasing him at Walmart but actually it was like USADA guy. The video kinda went viral, some guys talk about him being Brazilian and being chased, which is real and it’s sad, but at least [this time] it was a joke with the USADA guys.”
Hopefully USADA wasn’t in a rush because Pereira’s watch is set to “Brazilian time.”
“Poatan” will make his light heavyweight debut against former 205-pound titleholder Jan Blachowicz in the upcoming UFC 291 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, locked and loaded for this Sat. night (July 29, 2023) inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
For much more on that upcoming showdown click here.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 291 fight card right RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+/ABC at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 291: “Poirier vs. Gaethje 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 291 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.