Conor McGregor wasn’t too happy about Alex Pereira’s sparring session with a South Korean boxer. Pereira has been taking a break after having a great year in 2024, winning three big fights. His last one was when he defended his UFC light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, coming back from behind to win.
When Pereira isn’t training for fights, he’s traveling around the world with his team, meeting people. Recently, he stopped in South Korea and visited a boxing gym, where he had a sparring match with a Korean boxer. The two of them had a fast-paced, exciting match, and fans really liked it.
But Conor McGregor didn’t think it was that impressive. He called out Pereira on social media, showing he wasn’t a fan of the sparring match.
McGregor Criticizes Alex Pereira for Sparring with a South Korean Boxer
McGregor Reacts to Pereira’s Sparring with One Word: “Pointless”
💥 Alex Pereira was sparring hard in South Korea today with no headgear or mouth guard. #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/eDHRpKlrjh
— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) November 19, 2024
As of now, Alex Pereira hasn’t responded to Conor McGregor’s tweet. However, Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen quickly fired back after seeing McGregor’s comment.
Johnny Eblen responded to Conor McGregor with, “Just like your comeback.”
Watch the video below:
McGregor and Eblen have argued online before. McGregor didn’t like Eblen’s win over Fabian Edwards in their Bellator rematch and said some not-so-nice things about it.
McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC since UFC 264 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but he had to pull out because of a toe injury.
While McGregor has been away from fighting, Alex Pereira has become a big star in the UFC. He quickly won two UFC titles, knocking out Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in just a few fights.
McGregor is determined to return to the UFC, and Dana White has said that it could happen in late 2025, though it’s still a while away.
Next, Pereira is expected to fight Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title, but no date has been set yet. Ankalaev earned his title shot by winning against Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308, keeping his long unbeaten streak alive.
McGregor might fight Michael Chandler when he returns since they coached against each other on The Ultimate Fighter. Chandler called out McGregor after losing to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.
McGregor thinks Pereira’s sparring overseas might not be good for him. As McGregor plans his return, he’s still very active on social media, sharing his thoughts on MMA.
