Alex Pereira will go down as “one of the greatest fighters ever,” says former UFC middleweight champion
A former UFC middleweight champion recently opened up about Alex Pereira and noted that he will be remembered as an all-time great when his career is over.
Pereira most recently defeated Jiri Prochazka via second-round TKO to win the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship, which also happened to be almost a year to the day that he won the middleweight championship. During his appearance on The Weekly Scraps, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman shared his thoughts on the Brazilian's rise in the sport. He mentioned that he believes he will be considered among the greatest fighters to ever compete. Weidman said:
"Alex Pereira because of [Israel] Adesanya, got a ride up. He didn't go against any wrestlers or anything. He got a ride up to get that fight with Adesanya. Then, he made the most of it. Like, what's his [MMA] record? 9-1 or 9-2? Now he's gonna go down as one of the greatest fighters ever...He's a champ-champ. Like, this is kinda crazy." [0:03 - 0:26]
Weidman noted that it's remarkable what 'Poatan' has accomplished so quickly following his transition from kickboxing, where he was also a two-division Glory Kickboxing champion. It will be interesting to see whether Pereira will be considered among the greatest fights in the sport's history if he is successful in piling up light heavyweight title defenses.
Check out the full video below:
UFC commentator Jon Anik compliments Alex Pereira for professionalism
Alex Pereira has experienced a surge in popularity since making his UFC debut following an incredible kickboxing career.
Prior to his light heavyweight title bout against Jiri Prochazka this past November, Jon Anik shared a nice compliment for the Brazilian. The UFC commentator took to his X account and mentioned that Pereira had been a pleasure to interact with, and that fame and success hadn't changed him at all. He wrote:
"NEW YORK -- No matter how big his profile gets, Alex Pereira remains so gracious with his time and thoughtful with his answers. Seventh fighter meeting and he's always on time and present. Easy to see why his fanbase is huge...and for myriad reasons. #UFC295"
![Anik's tweet regarding his interactions with Pereira [Image courtesy: @Jon_Anik - X]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/62db1-17060374848820-1920.jpg?w=500)