LAS VEGAS – UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira exceeded Dana White's expectations.
Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) made his second title defense with a second-round knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka (30-5-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in the main event of UFC 303 last Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Pereira, a former two-division Glory kickboxing champion, has found success in two UFC weight classes, winning titles at both 185 and 205 pounds, despite having little to no MMA experience. White admits he was initially skeptical about Pereira's potential at UFC, but “Poitan” proved him wrong.
“Unbelievable, right? No, I don't think so, especially when you're a guy coming from kickboxing,” White told reporters at the post-fight press conference at UFC 303. “Look, he's had a long kickboxing career and is older to come to UFC. I think the exact opposite is true. This guy is not going to do well here. He's going to get taken down, he's going to get beaten up, he's going to get submitted, it's going to be all that. But I was wrong.”
White praised Pereira's performance against Prochaska, who dropped him with a signature left hook in the final seconds of the first round, sending Prochaska staggering back to his chair, but Pereira knocked him down with a head kick just 18 seconds into the second round.
“He was incredibly strong,” White said of Pereira. “The fight started exactly like the last fight. Kick in the calf, break his leg and I thought, 'Oh, he was saved by the bell.' No, he wasn't. He was incredibly strong. The guy is a monster, an absolute monster.”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 303 event hub.
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