Las Vegas – UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira may not have been able to defend his middleweight title, but he’ll get a chance to defend his currently belt against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 on Saturday night.
“That’s part of the game. I don’t try to raise not too much high expectations. I came here with the mindset to win and defend that belt,” Pereira told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator on Wednesday.
Pereira (9-2) will have to defeat the former light heavyweight champion in Hill in order to successfully score a defense of his title. Hill said, during his media day interview, that he received advice from Israel Adesanya for his fight with ‘Poatan’.
Adesanya has a well-documented rivalry with Pereira that goes back to their kickboxing days. Both also dropped the 185 title to the other before Pereira moved up to 205.
“Actually the best thing that he could have done for himself because if he had went and sparred with Adesanya (it would have) been a big frustration for him. Specially for the fact that (I) beat him so many times,” Pereira said.
Even with a title fight just days away Hill actually walked up to Pereira during fighter check-in to ask for a favor. The former champion had walked around to every fighter on the card to ask them to sign a UFC 300 hoodie for him. Pereira did not hesitate and he signed the sweatshirt for his opponent.
“Not surprised. He was very respectful in that moment so I signed the sweatshirt with no problem,” he said.
Recently on social media videos of Pereira training and hanging out with UFC strawweight Polyana Viana have gotten the attention of MMA fans.
“Her simplicity plays a big part of it. I think that’s what the fans like. I talked to her the other day. She said that she want(s) to be a UFC champion so I told her that me and my team can maybe help her get to that goal,” he told Cageside Press.
“She’s very charismatic. I’m not as charismatic. Fans like how I act.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Alex Pereira above. He defends his UFC title against Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC 300 on Saturday night.
