"I show who the people who ran from me are" - Alex Pereira claims Joaquin Buckley was the first of many UFC stars to refuse fighting him

Alex Pereira (left) claims Joaquin Buckley (right) refused to take a fight with him. [Images courtesy: @alexpoatanpereira and @newmansa94 via Instagram]

Alex Pereira is gearing up for his next UFC appearance against Sean Strickland this summer after a decision win over Bruno Silva last month. The Brazilian has claimed that his name was initially offered to around 15 fighters in his division, all of whom turned down the challenge.

During a recent interview with Super Lutas' Laerte Viana, Pereira stated that Joaquin Buckley was the first to run from him when offered the fight. Here's what the 34-year-old said (translated to English):

"He [Joaquin Buckley] was the first, he was the first to run away, you know? He was the first to run. I keep it to myself. When they start to want to promote themselves, then I'll disclose. Then I'll open the game to people. Because a lot of people, when I said around 15 guys [refused the bout], people were very curious. They wanted to know who they are. When they show themselves and talk s**t, then I show who the people who ran from me are."

Catch Alex Pereira's full conversation with Super Lutas in the video below:

Alex Pereira to face top ranked contender in Sean Strickland next

Alex Pereira will take on No.4-ranked middleweight contender Sean Strickland in his next promotional outing, despite being in only two UFC bouts. The fight is expected to take place at UFC 277 on July 30.

It is speculated that the winner of this bout will take on the 185-pound champion Israel Adesanya.

Pereira, who is currently unranked in the UFC, is a former Glory Kickboxing dual-champion. 'Poatan' also has history with current UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya. The 34-year-old holds two victories over 'The Last Stylebender' in the kickboxing world. The first win came in 2016 by way of unanimous decision, followed by a knockout victory in 2017.

The only man to stop Israel Adesanya is now in the UFC.

Alex Pereira knocked out the middleweight champ in the Stylebender's last kickboxing match.

Poatan makes his MMA debut at UFC 268 🔥 https://t.co/4qLis4dndm

Pereira's storyline with 'The Last Stylebender' has clearly given him a lot of leverage, considering Israel Adesanya's largely unchallenged run as the champion of the 185-pound division. The promotion seems to be looking to fast-track the Brazilian in the hope of setting up a title fight against the dominant Nigerian-born New Zealander.