- Alex Pereira explained why he didn’t hesitate to accept the late notice UFC 303 main event offer
- “Poatan” plans to rest and fight again in the final quarter of the year
- UFC president Dana White spoke about Conor McGregor’s future with the UFC
Alex Pereira gladly agreed to replace Conor McGregor and headline the upcoming UFC 303 against Jiri Prochazka. UFC president Dana White, meanwhile, addressed the current situation of “Notorious” with the company.
Chama!
On his YouTube channel, “Poatan” let everybody witness the exact moment he accepted the late notice offer to headline UFC 303. In the video, Pereira revealed why he agreed in a heartbeat and also reassured fans that it’s not gonna be an issue despite only having two weeks to prepare.
“To be sincere, [I] didn’t even think of it like, ‘There is no one [to replace McGregor]. I will give my price and they have to accept.’ I think we have a good relationship with the organization, so I threw there what I deserve. [I] Don’t think they thought the same way, like, ‘Damn, who am I going to put now, damn, we got to pay this.’ I don’t know if they had another option to put in that spot… I think it was good for both parties. Like I said, we have a good relationship, been doing my job correctly. Never gave trouble to the UFC, so I think they value that,” Pereira explained.
“Like promised, [I] came back to speak on the details. Big news: I will fight in UFC 303 in Las Vegas. Conor got hurt. I hope it’s nothing serious, that he can recover and come back fast but yesterday I had a call from my manager, Ed. They want me to do the main fight on the card,” he said.
“I gave my proposition. My manager called me, came with the big news that everything was good. They accepted it, so it’s good for me, good for the organization, everyone is happy. I think the public will be very happy,” he continued.
“They know when I enter the Octagon, I put my blood there. I do everything to put on a show for everyone. I’m here in Australia, total of 11 day, been 8 days of a lot of work, a lot of training, for [those] who are watching, sees I’m always training, very dedicated guy, I can separate work and training. It’s going very well, I don’t stop training. I had to do a pause because of my toes, on my last fight. Now I’m good, ready to fight, for me, it is a big opportunity to do this card in Las Vegas. So, I’m going to enjoy this moment, enjoy the fight. I’m not going there to risk, I’m going there to win,” he added.
One more after UFC 303
Pereira is well aware that he is no longer likely to compete at UFC 305 due to the unexpected turn of events. With that in mind, the Brazilian still plans to fight again before the year ends after taking a short break following UFC 303, probably at Madison Square Garden.
“Now I think it will be a lot of things. [I]Got to focus on this fight. I don’t know what will happen after. But I also want to rest a little. I have time to fight til the end of the year. Til December, November, December. Who knows? In Madison Square Garden, a spot where I feel very good at,” Pereira said.
“There’s time, I had my doubts. If I do the August one, I want to do an end of year one [fight]. But now it’s possible. I put it in my head I can do it because I have time for it. Yes, we were talking in respect to August in Australia. I would love it,” he added.
Dana doesn’t want to talk about Conor for now
Indeed, McGregor’s injury was a huge blow for the UFC. That said, UFC president Dana White refused to elaborate on the future of “Notorious” until they get a word that McGregor has fully recovered.
“It’s the business, man,” White said. “This is the way it goes. And from here on I’m not going to talk about it until when he’s healed and he’s right. Then we’ll look at the landscape and see what we can figure out.”
Dana White speaks on Conor McGregor's withdrawal from #UFC303 due to an injury:
“It’s the business, man. This is the way it goes. And from here on I’m not going to talk about it until when he’s healed and he’s right. Then we’ll look at the landscape and see what we can figure… pic.twitter.com/u7l4sqrMu5
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 15, 2024
Pereira stopped Prochazka at UFC 295 to become the new light heavyweight champ and a two-weight champion. With “Poatan” on it, UFC 303 will carry on. The Brazilian will put his light heavyweight title on the line once again and run it back with Prochazka.
Watch Pereira’s full video below:
