Current light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereria is certainly one of the toughest fighters in the UFC at the moment. This was his third title defense in the year 2024 against a highly skillful opponent in Khalil Rountree Jr. ‘Poatan’ started the fight very aggressively but later changed his game plan in the third and fourth rounds.
He managed to use his lethal leg kicks much nattily and finally ended the fight in the fourth round after landing a barrage of shots. But not everything was smooth for the champion before the fight at UFC 307. Let us take a look at some of the problems he faced in the build-up.
Alex Pereira fought Khalil Rountree Jr. with multiple issues behind the scenesADVERTISEMENT
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Alex Pereira and his team moved to Utah weeks before to help him acclimatize with the altitude. However, the altitude was not the only problem the Brazilian was dealing with before his UFC 307 fight. Amy Kaplan took to her X account to point out a few details that might surprise the fans even more. She tweeted, “Alex says he almost didn’t get his passport, he hurt his ribs and got sick and had to take antibiotics this fight, plus his UFC 303 injury came back this camp”. Looking at Alex Pereria, no one could have imagined he was nowhere close to 100% in the fight.
Alex says he almost didn’t get his passport, he hurt his ribs and got sick and had to take antibiotics this fight, plus his UFC 303 injury came back this camp #UFC307
— Amy Kaplan (@PhotoAmy33) October 6, 2024
This was the 37-year-old’s third title defense of the year 2024, and he has now become one of the most active champions in the UFC. However, fighting with injuries is never a new thing for ‘Poatan.’ After his emphatic UFC 300 victory against Jamahal Hill, it was later revealed that he had broken his toe weeks before the fight. But much to the delight of the fans and Dana White, Pereira turned up for the event and put up a blockbuster performance for the fans. After his impressive victory at UFC 307, what’s next for the light-heavyweight champion?
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#2 ranked fighter Magomed Ankalaev was closely watching the fight and even picked Alex Pereira as the favorite for the fight. The Russian has been waiting for a longtime to lock horns with the champion. However, Pereira, in most of his interviews, has made it clear that he is desperate to face Ankalaev and finally end the battle. Experts feel that ‘Poatan’ might just not be able to handle the wrestling of the Russian fighter. So, will the fans get to see these two battle it out next inside the Octagon?
Alex Pereira feels he now deserves a break after three successful title defenses in 2024As Alex Pereira continues to knockout top-level fighters, one compet͏itor, in particular, is eager to challenge himself against the champion. Mago͏med Ankalaev has been trying to get the attention of ‘Poatan’ and recently ac͏c͏used him of using voodoo to wi͏n his͏ matches.͏ After secur͏i͏ng his victory against ‘T͏he War͏ Horse,’ Ankalev took the opportunity to challenge the champion and shared a message on his Instagram account. He wrote, “Congratulations both guys it was a great fight, I’m glad wudu guy won and now I have to do my job beat Rakic and after that kill the spill,” .
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However, it seems that Pereira is in no mood to fight the Russian and wants time to let his body recover from the beating he has taken in recent times. On asked about his next title defense ‘Poatan’ had no hesitation in saying, “I think I deserve some rest after this. I’m not going to say anything about my team and their condition. So now, I think I want to rest my body. I’ve got some trips to go on, and then I’m going on a trip to Bali just to relax. Let’s see what’s next,”. Pereira will definitely look to face the winner of the UFC 308 clash. But it seems the fans might just have to wait a bit longer to see him back in action.
When should Alex Pereira return to action next to defend his title for the fourth time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source : EssentiallySports