New York, NY – Shortly after defeating Jiri Prochazka to become the UFC light heavyweight champion at UFC 295 Alex Pereira called out a familiar foe for another go in the octagon.
“I mean what I said over there (post-fight interview). I think I owe this to (Israel) Adesanya. He motivate me at first,” Pereira told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator at his post-fight scrum.
“The whole thing about him stayind (away) all this time, you know 2027, I think it’s a waste of talent. I think i’ll be able to bring him back.”
UFC CEO Dana White had been asked earlier who would be next for Pereira. White felt that former champion Jamahal Hill should fight Pereira for the belt.
“I don’t know if he’ll (Hill) will be ready on time or not,” Pereira said.
Adesanya didn’t stay silent very long following the call out. The former middleweight champion posted a meme responding to Pereira on X.
Let it gooooo 🎶 pic.twitter.com/gv9ZYliKwH
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) November 12, 2023
“Regardless of what he say I was respectful. I mean what I say. I think he doesn’t seem motivated and I think that’s a fight that everybody would like to see,” Pereira said.
The fight with Jiri, as spectacular as the finish was, brought questions of an early stoppage that Pereira refuted. To Prochazka’s credit he did not complain about the stoppage, but it didn’t stop many others.
“He was feeling those punches. I felt he was feeling those and then when he got in he (got hit) with the left hook and then the cross. Once he dropped on my legs, which was not like getting a takedown, but he actually fell. I started punching, I started feeling that he was a little bit fading away,” Pereira said.
“I think it’s a good stoppage. I know maybe his friends and his supporters, his people his fans, going to maybe try to say it was not. But I think it was the correct way.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Alex Pereira above.
