Pereira stepped up last-minute to fight Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, and he has no plans to say no to whatever challenge is offered to him next.
Alex Pereira showed up at UFC 303 on two weeks notice and absolutely clobbered Jiri Prochazka, knocking “The Czech Samurai” out with a headkick mere seconds into the second round of their light heavyweight title fight (watch the higlights here).
With this win he’s finally defeated the 205 pound curse that’s sat upon the division’s belt after Jon Jones vacated it: he’s defended the title twice, and he’s looking to do it many times more, on short notice if needed.
“I’m going to be training, I’m going to be ready, and I’m going to be taking the opportunities,” he said in a post-fight interview with UFC’s McKenzie Pavacich. “It’s my discipline and commitment to the sport. Whenever I get these opportunities, I’m always ready.”
Following the dominant win over Prochazka, there was a lot of talk about Pereira moving up to heavyweight. And while “Poatan” has spoken about that as an eventual goal, he was adamant that 205 pounds was where he wanted to stay for now.
“I think I still have challenges at light heavyweight,” he said. “I want to keep defending my belt. I want to keep training and showing these results in my fights.”
“For heavyweight, it’s something that I gotta do a preparation for, I gotta prepare,” he added during the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “So I don’t know. For example, you saw I took this fight on two weeks notice. But for heavyweight, it’s something that’s gotta be more planned. So for right now I’m just focused on defending my title.”
Pereira didn’t seem bothered by the tough talk coming from would-be contenders Magomed Ankalaev or Jamahal Hill.
2 years ago Alex Perreira was not ready to fight with me but I believe today he is the hardest fight in the division for me and I’m the hardest fight in the division for him
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) June 30, 2024
Guys believe me everyone, I will knock out @AlexPereiraUFC I do not need to take him down, this guy his chin is gone but I know he is very dangerous
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) June 30, 2024
“Everybody deserves,” Pereira said simply. “But I’m not the guy to ask. You’ve got to talk to Dana White.”
White said earlier that Pereira had carte blanche to fight whoever he wanted next, which made Alex’s response all the more badass.
“Anybody,” he declared.
He did suggest he’d like a little time off before fighting again, but time off for Pereira is measured in weeks, not months. And he confirmed with Pavacich that he hadn’t re-broken his toes on Prochazka’s head.
“My toes are fine,” he said. “I think I might have kicked something hard and in that moment it hurt a little bit. When there’s something wrong it gets worse and worse, I wouldn’t be able to walk [now]. But it’s all good, it’s fine now.”