Las Vegas, NV — The UFC marched out an army of fighters at the UFC 300 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, but Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill sit atop the card, despite the tricentennial event being more about depth than star power.
That means the light heavyweight title fight was the first order of business to be addressed on Thursday.
Champ Pereira, a rare illustrious double-champ in the company having previously held middleweight gold, went first. Asked to rank where Hill fell in his list of opponents, it wasn’t exactly pole position for “Sweet Dreams.”
“Jamahal Hill, I’d put him in fourth position,” suggested the Brazilian know as ‘Poatan.’ “I’ve said this in a couple interviews, I think it’s a very good match-up for me, but I’d put him in fourth place.”
Hill took it in stride, but made no bones about his plan to reclaim 205lb gold, which he was forced to vacate after tearing his Achilles tendon playing basketball.
“Make no doubt, I’m here to put him out. He’s got to go to sleep,” predicted Hill. “Only one way to do things. It’s okay with him ranking me his score, I’m okay with that. Whatever his opinions are, whatever. We’re going to get in there and see. We’re going to get in there and see. You already know how I’m coming.”
That exchange was cordial enough, but when Hill showed off an Easter Island statue water bottle with an obvious crack — a clear shot at Pereira — things got a little darker.
“You know, just getting acquainted with the visual that I plan on seeing Saturday night,” quipped Hill, raising the bottle about when asked about it by a reporter.
“I’ll make him remember this moment,” Pereira then interjected. “When I’m on my walkout, about to go into the octagon and my music is playing, I’ll make him remember this moment.”
“Write it down, take a picture, I don’t give a f*ck,” Hill shot back, with things between the UFC 300 main event pair suddenly less cordial than they had been all week. “We’re getting it in. Ain’t nothing to talk about, ain’t nothing to say. It’s all right here, and I’m on your ass.”
UFC 300 takes place this Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
