Four months after calling out Israel Adesanya in English, Alex Pereira claims he's "trying hard" to grasp the language
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is native to Brazil and has not yet learned to speak fluent English.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Pereira was asked about his progress with the language. He responded through his translator, Plinio Cruz, that he could understand some of it while explaining that he was trying to learn the language gradually and could converse in an environment that he felt comfortable in.
'Poatan' said:
“[How is your English, by the way? Like do you understand what I’m saying before he translates or no?] Well, very hard. He can understand a little bit, it’s hard to associate some words but he’s trying. [You try. Are you learning? Are your trying to learn how to speak English?] No, he’s trying hard. He’s learning a little by a little but he’s shy, you know what I mean. So it’s maybe – maybe [if] it’s just you both, he [is] going to start speaking a little bit but when there’’s other person involved and all this, [it] is hard for him.”
Check out Alex Pereira's full comments in the video below:
One of the few instances when Alex Pereira spoke in English in public was his callout to former foe Israel Adesanya after UFC 295. He won the vacant light heavyweight title and called out 'The Last Stylebender' to a fight. In a brief four-word callout in English, he said:
"Adesanya, come to daddy"
Check out Pereira's callout to Adesanya below (3:34):
Alex Pereira thinks 'it's over' over possibility of future trilogy fight against Israel Adesanya
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya shared the octagon twice in middleweight championship fights and shared the spoils equally.
Ultimately, Pereira moved up to challenge successfully for the light heavyweight title while Adesanya lost the title to Sean Strickland and went on a hiatus. Concerning a trilogy fight, Pereira dismissed it as an unlikely matchup and instead expressed his willingness to train with Adesanya.
In the aforementioned interview, Pereira stated:
"He feels that it's over, but anything can happen. If he shows interest or the organization, he'll do the fights, but at this point the way that it was shown, he thinks it's over."
He further added:
"Even to the point that he thinks that they could both even train together if it comes down to that because he feels that if that ever happens, Israel is a very experienced guy, Alex is a very experienced guy, similar styles of high level striking, different aspects of the game that one could add to the other. If it comes down to that fight we'll be good, but that is not something he is holding onto no more."