‘And Nonetheless’ – UFC mild heavyweight champion Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira placed on a show-stopping efficiency final evening out in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, as he completed veteran Khalil Rountree Jr with a brutal fourth-round knockout.
But within the aftermath of his third profitable title protection of 2024, Alex Pereira would reveal how coaching camp for UFC 307 was really one of many worst he’s skilled within the promotion, having suffered a sequence of main points that nearly resulted in him pulling out totally.
Alex Pereira reveals why he nearly pulled out of UFC 307 title combat
Given how Alex Pereira was capable of battle by means of insanely highly effective pictures from Khalil Rountree Jr earlier than delivering a vicious fourth-round knockout to efficiently retain his LHW title, you may assume that ‘Poatan’ had an equally profitable coaching camp.
Effectively, it seems that that’s removed from the case; with Pereira revealing in his post-fight interviews that he had suffered a number of extreme accidents, contracted a slightly draining sickness, and even had points along with his passport – all within the build-up to UFC 307.
“The combat was actually robust however solely my workforce is aware of how robust this camp was, I went by means of a whole lot of stuff that nobody actually is aware of about,” Pereira admitted on the post-fight press conference.
“I used to be in Brazil a few month in the past, I had some issues with my visa and was going over to the consulate each single day attempting to see if my passport was able to be picked up… Lastly made it again to the US, spent a few week in Connecticut and been right here for 3 weeks, in that meantime I used to be on antibiotics, I had a fever, a nasty throat and a whole lot of issues occurred.
“After I was in Brazil, I harm my rib; it was an damage that I had a few yr in the past and that got here again, in order that was one thing that I used to be coping with… And once I got here right here, my throat was nonetheless unhealthy; went to the physician and was placed on one other spherical of antibiotics, I even recorded a video on the time that I would present, however I went by means of so much.”
Injury to his rib, illness, and visa points apart, Pereira was additionally nonetheless affected by the toe damage that he sustained again in his earlier title conflict with Jamahal Hill.
“Additionally, the ligament in my toe that was harm for UFC 300, that got here again so there was a whole lot of issues that I went by means of… It was a troublesome combat, however it was a troublesome lead-up to the combat and [that’s why] I’m really actually happy with myself on this second.”
Talking later to Full Send MMA, Pereira and coach Plinio Cruz acknowledged that the state of affairs was so unhealthy that they thought-about withdrawing from UFC 307 even when the occasion was only a few weeks away.
“I believe as a result of stress and every little thing that was happening, I obtained sick, my throat was unhealthy, and I used to be on heavy antibiotics… I got here to America and instructed my supervisor, ‘Bro I’m in unhealthy form’.
“There was a whole lot of little points, the UFC had every little thing documented so we now have proof, and we obtained to the purpose the place we’re going to go over there and do that camp, however we didn’t know if we have been going to maintain this combat going or not – even till the final day [of training].”
As aptly identified by coach Cruz, there aren’t many UFC fighters, not to mention champions of the world, who’d be prepared to stay it out and combat by means of such adversity.
Now that Pereira has seemingly secured himself because the 2024 Fighter of the Yr, the favored Brazilian is wanting ahead to some well-deserved time away to relaxation and get better.
“I believe I earned and deserve some relaxation after this,” he instructed Megan Olivi by way of ESPN MMA.
“I’m not gonna say what, however my workforce is aware of that this was one of many hardest camps for me to do on account of issues taking place all through the camp, little issues right here and there.”
“So now I believe I need to relaxation my physique, we’ve obtained some journeys to go [on], we’re going to Mexico, Malta and Korea – then I need to take a while in Bali after that simply to chill out and see what’s subsequent.”
If anybody deserves a while away to benefit from the fruits of their labor, it’s Alex Pereira – relaxation up champ, and we’ll see you within the New Yr.
- OUCH: Conor McGregor, Dana White and UFC fans go wild at gnarly post-fight picture of Khalil Rountree Jr
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