Looking back at the times Alex Pereira tickled the MMA world's funny bone by pranking Glover Teixeira
Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira bear a few similarities. Both men are recognized as UFC light heavyweight champions, with Pereira being the current titleholder, and Teixeira being a former champion. They're also Brazilians, and most importantly, they're pranksters, at least to each other.
Historically, Teixeira has been the more frequent prankster of the two, but 'Poatan' has, on occasion, found moments to return the favor to the retired 205-pounder. Due to his general stoic demeanor and serious facial expression, it delighted the MMA world all the more whenever Pereira would prank Teixeira.
Few will forget when Alex Pereira showed off his Lamborghini Huracan to Glover Teixeira, who initially mistook it as a gift for himself, which left Conor McGregor in splits. But he has also pranked his friend and mentor on purpose as well. Not long ago, Pereira and Teixeira were spotted at a restaurant together.
While the two had dinner, 'Poatan' tricked Teixeira into eating a rolled-up napkin by disguising it as a sushi roll of some sort. The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion posted a clip of the prank on Instagram, and he can be seen breaking out in laughter as Texeira complains about it.
Another prank he played on Glover Teixeira took place ahead of Alex Pereira's bout with Jan Błachowicz at UFC 291. The two Brazilians traveled to Salt Lake City to help 'Poatan' acclimatize to the high-altitude environment. Part of that involved hiking, during which they stumbled upon a fresh river stream.
Both men decided to take a dip before Pereira decided to playfully drown Teixeira, holding him under the water for a few seconds. The two are known for their close friendship and fans can expect to see more pranks between them in the coming days.
Alex Pereira's first title defense at light heavyweight
After TKO'ing Jiří Procházka at UFC 295, Alex Pereira enthroned himself as the new light heavyweight champion. During his post-fight interview, he issued a public appeal to Israel Adesanya, calling on his rival to make an early return from his hiatus and accept a fourth fight.
However, UFC CEO Dana White was quick to shut down the potential for a fourth fight between Pereira and Adesanya. At the post-fight press conference, White revealed that former 205-pound champion Jamahal Hill is next in line for the title, and will be Pereira's next opponent.