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UFC 300
Alex Pereira: ‘My Legacy Is Being Built’
UFC Light Heavyweight Alex Pereira Has His Sights On Capping Off UFC’s Historic UFC 300 By Defending His Title In Style
In just seven UFC fights, Alex Pereira conquered both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Prior to “Poatan,” no fighter in UFC history had ever been both a middleweight champion and a light heavyweight champion – and what makes that accomplishment even more impressive is that he became a two-division champ in the shortest time and number of fights ever.
At UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas, Pereira will be looking to add to his legacy on what has shaped up to be the biggest event in UFC history. Pereira will headline the milestone event opposite former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill.
“It means a lot to me to headline because as soon as I arrived in the UFC, many people said I wasn’t going to make it,” Pereira told UFC Fight Pass Brazil. “’A guy from kickboxing? This guy has no ground game.’ And now, I’m the main event at UFC 300 and everyone knows what that means.
“My legacy is being built. I’m still fighting, and everyone knows how hard it is to get two belts. A lot of people have tried to achieve this, and many didn’t make it. Only a handful [accomplished it]. I’m a guy who has them, so I think it’s very important.”
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What makes the fight with Hill even more important for Pereira’s legacy is that Hill was the previous champion at 205 pounds, but an achilles injury forced him to relinquish the title. Hill won that belt by beating Glover Teixeira, Pereira’s head coach and close friend.
The added context boosts the storyline value for sure, but it doesn’t raise the pressure for Pereira or give him a desire to exact revenge. He knows he’s a different fighter than Teixeira and he believes the outcome will be different when he has his crack at “Sweet Dreams.”
Alex Pereira | Top Finishes
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Alex Pereira | Top Finishes
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“I’m going to do my job just like I’ve been doing. I’ve been saying, if you just go with your heart, you’ll drift from strategy,” Pereira said. “So, I’ll keep my composure and do my best. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I won’t change anything.”
Teixeira did pass along some tips about what Hill is like in a fight that Pereira found useful. He’s going to fight his own fight, but picking Teixeira’s brain on a few things can add to his game and help him be aware of all the dangers presented by Hill.
View The Full UFC 300 Fight Card
One of the most important topics of discussion is the health of Hill, who’s been rehabbing his achilles at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas for quite some time. Pereira hopes that Hill is back and 100% for their bout, as he wants to beat Hill when he’s at his best and with no excuses.
“Well, there’s no way to know that, right? He’s the only one who can answer that,” Pereira said when asked about Hill’s health. “But, in theory, it’s too soon. I don’t know, but I do know he accepted the fight, so he’s definitely feeling all right. And I hope he’s OK. I’m not here like, ‘I hope he doesn’t have time to recover’ and all those kinds of things. If I think that way, then I wouldn’t be the champion.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a great fight. He’s a former champion and I will be prepared.”
Adding a spectacular victory over Hill, as well as securing his first light heavyweight title defense, would help move Pereira one step closer toward being recognized as one of the greats. It’s a real argument that could be made for Pereira even though he’s still very early in his UFC career.
But he’s not worried about that for now.
“People ask what I think or where I stand in the rankings,” Pereira said. “But people can see it. It’s a fact. There is no argument against facts. So, I’m showing the [facts] and I’m doing my job.
“I think the best is yet to come.”
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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