Alex Pereira appears to have declined to compete again in the coming weeks.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion defended his title by defeating Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. After his victory, “Poitan” announced that he wanted to quickly reschedule his event for the May 4th pay-per-view event in Rio de Janeiro. But on Wednesday, Pereira spoke to Brazilian journalist Lerte Viana and discussed another injury sustained during the match that will likely keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“Fifteen days before the match I broke the toe of my right foot,” Pereira explained. “It was during the penultimate sparring session.”
[session], so it didn’t affect my preparation at all. The problem is when it happens at the start of camp. However, during the match, the second time I kicked his leg, I also broke the toe of his left foot. ”
Because Pereira has two broken toes in his toe, he cannot receive a medical diagnosis and believes that attempting to enter the cage with his broken leg still unhealed could put his health at risk. There is.
“Unfortunately, two of them were broken.” [digits] possibility [of
competing at UFC 301] is zero,” Pereira lamented. “It would be risking my career for my personal aspirations. I’m sure there are other opportunities to fight for the Brazilian fans.”
During the match, a cameraman captured the moment “Poitan” stepped on Hill’s foot and simultaneously hit Hill with a left hand that stopped the fight. This was not part of the Brazilian’s plans.
“I realized it later when I watched the game,” Champion said. “Sometimes I do it intentionally as a joke with my sparring partner. But not during a fight. At that moment, I was looking for the right distance. He grabbed my right hand. I was cautious, but [so] He feinted a straight punch and raised a cross with his left hand. He didn’t run away, so I stepped on his right foot, but it wasn’t intentional. ”
If he is unable to compete at UFC 301 in early May, he could still compete at the UFC Fight Night event in the United Arab Emirates in August. The fight card will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, a city the promotion has supported during the COVID-19 pandemic. If he stays at 205 pounds, he has his sights set on former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev, who offered to compete on the show.
“I need to talk to Grover about something.”
[Teixeira], my manager and my team,” Pereira concluded. “Grover is more experienced and I always like to listen to him. We’re like fighting cocks. We’re ready to go at any time. But no matter what decision we make… I have to think with my teammates about whether it is better to go down.”
