Alex Pereira didn’t let anything stop him at UFC 300. He kept the light heavyweight title, even with a broken pinkie toe and a groin shot just before knocking out Jamahal Hill. The fight was intense, right from the start.
The former Glory Kickboxing champ had injured his toe weeks before. Yet, he shrugged off the pain and a low blow to secure a win early in the fight. It was a knockout that had everyone talking.
Dana White, UFC’s CEO, spilled the beans on Pereira’s injury post-fight. But Pereira? He wasn’t about to let an injury dictate his performance. “It happened,” he said, “but pulling out was never an option for me.”
The fight had a cautious beginning. Then, a moment of controversy almost paused it. Hill’s kick seemed to land in a no-no zone, but Pereira waved off the ref, signaling he was good to go. What came next was a left hook that floored Hill, followed by a flurry of punches. Game over.
Pereira was tactical, using leg kicks to gauge the distance. “He’s a southpaw, so it’s a bit trickier,” he explained. Despite the groin shot, he pushed through, not wanting to lose the momentum.
Post-victory, Pereira had a moment with his downed opponent, a bit of payback for a pre-fight disrespect involving a smashed stone head, one of Pereira’s symbols. “He changed his tune last minute, so I had to respond,” Pereira remarked.
Looking ahead, Pereira teased a move to heavyweight, eyeing a fight at UFC 301 in Rio. This caught the attention of interim heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall, who hinted at a potential clash with a cryptic photo.
Pereira played it cool, not naming names but expressing his interest in the heavyweight division. “Whoever they pick,” he stated, keeping his options open.
Dana White, however, pumped the brakes on the idea. He acknowledged Pereira’s skill but questioned the move to heavyweight, given the division’s tough competition. “He’s great where he is,” White concluded, suggesting Pereira might want to reconsider.