Alex Pereira breaks down UFC 303 knockout; responds to Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill callouts

Alex Pereira and his group had been rewarded for leaving no stone unturned when it got here to their pre-fight planning.

A little bit of last-second movie examine proved to play a significant function in Pereira’s second profitable protection of his UFC mild heavyweight title, which headlined UFC 303 in Las Vegas on Saturday. Pereira met Jiri Prochazka in a rematch and as soon as once more completed the Czech warrior by way of strikes, this time catching him with a head kick that signaled the start of the top.

Pereira had already rocked Prochazka badly on the finish of Spherical 1, then opened Spherical 2 with a excessive kick that he later defined was arrange due to his coaches watching Prochazka’s warmup on Instagram earlier within the night.

“Really, I used to be within the locker room speaking to Plinio, one in every of my coaches, and he confirmed me the video of Jiri warming up,” Pereira stated on the night’s post-fight press convention by way of a Portuguese translator. “I noticed that he was planning to counterattack that calf kick. Defend and counter. However I advised Plinio that he was doing the unsuitable timing, the timing was not good.

“So I noticed that he was too targeted on not taking that kick and he was holding his fingers down and leaving the pinnacle uncovered. So I advised him, I’m going to discover the excessive kick.”

Discover the excessive kick Pereira did, and it linked superbly, giving him two wins now over his revered rival. Prochazka isn’t any stranger to highlight-reel knockouts himself, however he’s but to determine beat Pereira to the punch (or kick, on this case).

The 2 stepped in on short-notice to supply UFC 303 with a brand new fundamental occasion after a Conor McGregor toe damage compelled the cancellation of his initially scheduled headliner in opposition to Michael Chandler. Pereira and Prochazka will ceaselessly be linked when speaking about this period of fighters, and the bond will not be misplaced on the champion.

“I used to be targeted,” Pereira stated of his intense pre-fight staredown with Prochazka within the cage. “I used to be taking a look at any individual that was targeted, a warrior. It simply gave me extra motivation to do what I did.”

The same staredown occurred of their first battle, which additionally ended with Pereira catching Prochazka within the standup. Requested if there have been any changes between their two fights, Pereira answered that no drastic adjustments had been made and that he continues to steadily enhance.

“No, nothing new on my finish,” Pereira stated. “I believe I’m nonetheless within the technique of evolution of MMA, I hold evolving rather a lot. He’s a man that’s older, been coaching for longer, so he in all probability [knew] issues rather a lot higher, however not now.”

Followers are clamoring to determine what’s subsequent for Pereira, who has already gained UFC titles at mild heavyweight and middleweight, and will turn out to be the group’s first-ever three-division champion if he jumps to heavyweight. Pereira stated he plans to relaxation earlier than deciding his subsequent transfer.

That hasn’t stopped his rivals from calling him out, together with presumptive No. 1 contender Magomed Ankalaev and previous opponent Jamahal Hill, each of whom chimed in on social media after Saturday’s fundamental occasion.

“All people deserves, however I’m not the man to ask,” Pereira stated of Ankalaev’s problem. “You’ve bought to speak to Dana White.”

“Anyone,” he added when requested once more if he desires to battle Ankalaev.

As for Hill, Pereira was even shorter in his response: “OK.”