Alex Pereira has had a remarkable career in MMA so far.
The newly inducted member of the Glory Kickboxing Hall of Fame made his return to MMA after a brief break in 2016, winning two out of three fights. Pereira, 36, is renowned for his striking skills and was a former Glory champion before transitioning to MMA. He quickly became the UFC champion just four fights after joining the promotion.
Unfortunately, Pereira’s reign as the UFC middleweight champion was short-lived as he lost the title in his first defense against his long-time rival Israel Adesanya. In kickboxing, Pereira held both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles, reclaiming the latter after his loss to Adesanya. After defeating former champion Jan Blachowicz, Pereira will now compete for the vacant gold medal against Jiri Prochaska at UFC 295 this Saturday. Prochaska is seeking to reclaim the title he once held when Pereira’s mentor and coach, Glover Teixeira, was dethroned, adding an interesting narrative twist to this thrilling matchup.
“I’m not entering this fight with feelings of revenge,” Pereira said in an interview with CBS Sports’ Shaquiel Majuli. “I don’t want to play that game. I’m going into it with a positive mindset and will fight like I’ve never fought before. But I believe I can win back Glover’s belt and bring him back to the gym. Considering the flip side of that, it means a lot to me.”
He further added, “Mr. Glover is always so helpful. He gave me good feedback on this fight. Honestly, Glover always helps tremendously, whether he has fought Prochaska or not. He makes a big difference in camp.”
The matchup between Pereira and Prochaska promises to be a delight for fans of striking. Both fighters are known for their knockout power and have improved their grappling defense with each fight. Together, they have a combined 52 striking finishes, including Pereira’s kickboxing career.
While there are multiple storylines surrounding Pereira’s side of the fight, Prochaska will not be entering the Octagon with thoughts of facing Teixeira in June 2022. The reason the title is vacant is because Prochaska suffered a shoulder injury in December and had to take time off for recovery. Despite his absence, Pereira expects Prochaska to bring his trademark aggressive style to the fight.
“What makes him dangerous is his wealth of experience,” Pereira said. “He’s an experienced fighter. He’s dangerous, but that also makes me pay attention to him and not underestimate him. I’m preparing to go out there and get the job done. He’s experienced, a guy with a lot of knowledge and experience. That helps.”
