When Dana White surprisingly confessed he was wrong about Alex Pereira nearly three years after 'Poatan's' UFC debut
Dana White made a rare admission earlier this year, confessing that he was wrong about Alex Pereira’s potential in MMA. White’s comments came after Pereira had successfully defended his UFC light heavyweight championship for the second time, knocking out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303.
Speaking to the media following UFC 303, he stated that he didn’t expect much from Pereira, especially considering his age and the challenges of adjusting to MMA after a long kickboxing career. White even predicted that Pereira would struggle with takedowns and submissions:
“It’s incredible, right? No, I don’t think like that, especially when you’ve got a guy that’s coming in from kickboxing. You know? He has this long kickboxing career, and is older coming into the UFC. I think the exact opposite. This guy’s not gonna do very well here. He’s gonna get taken down, smashed, submitted, you know, all that kind of stuff. But, man was I wrong.”
Check out Dana White's comments below:
However, Pereira's rise in the UFC has been nothing short of remarkable. The Brazilian fighter not only became the UFC middleweight champion but also claimed the light heavyweight title, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest combat sports athletes.
Pereira’s knockout power and rapid MMA progression have left White eating his words, with the UFC CEO now acknowledging the fighter’s ability and success.
Alex Pereira’s team dismisses talks of UFC 310 headlining spot for the champion
UFC fans hoping for Alex Pereira to headline UFC 310 this December will be disappointed, as Pereira’s team has confirmed he won’t be stepping in on short notice.
The speculation emerged after Belal Muhammad withdrew from the pay-per-view headliner, leading fans to push for Pereira to defend his light heavyweight belt against Magomed Ankalaev to save the card.
However, veteran journalist Ariel Helwani received confirmation that Pereira has not been approached for UFC 310. His team stated that the champion has already laid out plans for the rest of the year.