"Sometimes I think it still doesn't hit me" - Alex Pereira revisits the time Brazilian UFC legend Lyoto Machida welcomed him to his house
UFC middleweight contender Alex Pereira has detailed being starstruck when he first met MMA legend Lyoto Machida and spent time with him at his home.
'Poatan' has become one of the UFC's biggest prospects. A former kickboxing champion, the Brazilian has earned himself a middleweight title shot against rival and champion Israel Adesanya after just three fights in the octagon.
Pereira and Adesanya have a heated rivalry that stems back to their days as kickboxers. The pair fought twice, with 'Poatan' getting the victory in both. The 35-year-old won via unanimous decision and a knockout. The KO remains the only time 'Izzy' has been finished in his MMA career.
Speaking on the Nem Me Viu podcast, Alex Pereira revealed that Glover Teixeira introduced him to 'The Dragon' and discussed what it was like to meet one of his heroes:
"This time I met him because of Glover [Teixeira]. Like he [Lyoto Machida] didn't know me, but for someone to welcome you to their home, they need to know who you are right?... We sat talking about fighting. I showed him some things, he showed me some others. I'm very happy with all this, with that affection and reception... Sometimes it still doesn't hit me, you know? I thought 'Damn, I'm at Lyoto's house.'"
Watch the full podcast with Alex Pereira here:
Alex Pereira opens up about alcohol addiction when he was younger
In the same episode, 'Poatan' admitted that he had a serious problem with alcohol and revealed that turning to MMA saved his life.
The Brazilian shared that he was poor while growing up in his native country. The 35-year-old stated that his father was a bricklayer and laborer whereas his mother was a housewife, meaning they lived off a single income for most of his childhood.
Pereira then started working in a tire shop to help earn more money, but while learning the trade, he was introduced to alcohol and a party-heavy lifestyle.
The former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champ said:
"Like, I had this phase, right? And in that time I also learned a lot of things, like drinking. Which was something that got in my way a lot, right? So, when I was a kid, even before working in the tire shop... Me, my brother, and kids the same age — 10 or 11 years old — we used to [buy] champagne on the sly. And then we used to drink in secret." [Translated by Brazilian MMA Legends YouTube]
Pereira later revealed he was drinking daily. The Brazilian discussed how his mother was hurt and disappointed by his behavior. He eventually vowed to make her proud and did so by turning to combat sports.