Alex Pereira comments on viral video of Kayla Harrison slamming him on the mat in training
Alex Pereira gave a nonchalant reaction when teased about getting slammed to the mat by Kayla Harrison. UFC bantamweight contender Harrison effortlessly tossed light heavyweight champion Pereira to the mat during a recent sparring session. The MMA community was impressed with the display of sheer strength and technique on Harrison's part.
Harrison is an Olympic medalist Judoka and former PFL lightweight tournament winner. She dropped down to bantamweight after transitioning to the UFC. The massive size difference between her and Pereira makes her slam all the more impressive.
Despite his reputation as a scary knockout artist inside the UFC octagon, Pereira is known for his sense of humor and easygoing attitude. In a recent interaction with MMA journalist Aaron Bronsteter, Pereira gave his reaction to the viral video of Harrison slamming him to the ground.
While discussing his chances against fighters like Magomed Ankalev, Pereira said that he is confident in his ground game and takedown defense. When Bronsteter jokingly teased him about being taken down by a "135-pound woman" (Harrison) in response, Pereira calmly said:
"Training, man. Today, in my gym, he trained with kids. Got a lot of punches in the face. That's how you learn." [Translated by Plinio Cruz]
Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (3:48):
When Kayla Harrison gave Alex Pereira's example while addressing disrespectful remarks towards female fighters
Kayla Harrison made her UFC debut at the UFC 300 pay-per-view event headlined by Alex Pereira. During a fan Q&A, an MMA fan asked fellow fighter Arman Tsarukyan an inappropriate question about Harrison.
As the double-meaning question was asked in Russian, fighters on the stage, including Harrison were initially unaware. However, it became a hot topic on social media in the following days. Harrison shared her thoughts on it while speaking to Ariel Helwani during her appearance on The MMA Hour:
“It’s disheartening. It’s disrespectful. I’m a two-time Olympic champion, I’m a world champion, I’m a mother, I’m an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, I wrote a book, I have a foundation. So in that sense, it was disrespectful that someone would ask that question. But more than that, you would never hear a female get asked, ‘How many times would you have sex with Alex Pereira?’ We don’t sexualize men like that. So it was disheartening.” [H/T MMA Fighting]