Reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira showed off his grappling skills during a brief encounter with one of the best wrestlers to ever step inside the Octagon, Daniel Cormier.
Captured and shared by Brazilian journalist Luis Coutinho, the two two-division titleholders were spotted engaging in a friendly contest with one another. That was until ‘Poatan’ put Cormier on his back, banging his head against a wall in the process. That prompted event security to step in and separate the two like a mother reeling in a couple of rowdy kids.
Flagrei essa cena entre Alex Poatan e Daniel Cormier nos bastidores do #UFCRio . Os dois começaram brincando de sparring até que o brasileiro colocou o americano pra baixo e teve até segurança pra separar 😂 Competitivo ou não o homem? 🗿 pic.twitter.com/YXxduQgeYS
— Coutinho (@luis_coutinho) May 1, 2024
“Caught this scene between Alex Poatan and Daniel Cormier backstage at #UFCRio. The two started playing sparring until the Brazilian put the American down and even had security to separate them,” Coutinho wrote on Instagram. “Competitive or not?”
Alex Pereira has rarely had to utilize his grappling inside the Octagon, but it’s nice to know that it’s there in case anyone tries to play that game with the 205-pound king.
Is Magomed Ankalaev Next for Alex Pereira?
Fresh off his first defense of the light heavyweight title at UFC 300, ‘Poatan’ is already on the hunt for his next fight. Sadly, it won’t be at UFC 301 as he had originally hoped. Pereira was gunning for a quick turnaround to headline this Saturday’s event in his home country, but a foot injury sustained in the weeks leading up to his clash with Jamahal Hill killed those plans quickly.
Though no official announcements have been made, Pereira’s next 205-pound title defense will likely come against Magomed Ankalaev, a Dagestani standout riding a 10-fight win streak dating back to 2018. Recently, Ankalaev suggested that the two men finally meet in October when the UFC makes its annual stop in Abu Dhabi.
Instead, Pereira would prefer to fight a month later when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden — the site where ‘Poatan’ won both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
