UFC light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has dismissed the idea of a near-future bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Pereira, also known as 'Poatan', successfully defended his title against American Khalil Rountree Jr at the Delta Centre in Salt Lake City earlier this month.
Despite a spirited effort from Rountree, he was unable to withstand the onslaught and was knocked out in the fourth round by the 37-year-old Brazilian. Following the fight, Paul told Adin Ross that he was confident he could beat Pereira in a boxing match .
"One thousand percent I would beat him," he declared. "Rountree actually kind of exposed that he doesn't have a high volume output. He doesn't like body shots. In MMA, Pereira would rip my head off. But boxing is a completely different sport, and the pace of it, and the style of it...He has holes.
"Rountree rocked him, hurt him a couple of times to the body, but didn't follow up on it. So if anything, this fight showed me, yes, Alex Pereira is great. But I know I would beat him in a boxing match, and I still would love to make that happen. Pressure is on him. If he can find his way out of the UFC contract like Nate Diaz did, then eventually him and I can talk."
In recent months, 'The Problem Child' has developed a penchant for challenging the UFC superstar. Fresh off his victory over Mike Perry, Paul didn’t waste any time during the post-fight interview to target the 37-year-old fighter.
"And Alex Pereira, Alex Pereira, you said you want to box. I'm the king of this," he declared. "I'm the king of this. Come over. We can make it happen. I want you, Alex Pereira. Indeed. Indeed. I just beat a BKFC champion. I beat multiple UFC champions. And he said he wants to box. So Alex Pereira, after Mike Tyson, let's make it happen."
But despite Paul’s apparent readiness to take on the UFC champion in the boxing ring, Pereira has rejected the notion outright, citing his obligations with the MMA organization.
Appearing on Ariel Helwani's show, 'Poatan' when asked about an encounter with 'The Problem Child', confessed: "I'm going to be honest, of course, boxing interests me. But he knows that I'm under contract to the UFC and I can't just leave. I think that's why he calls [me out] and says all of that."
He added, "I think if the UFC was a league that allowed everyone to fight everywhere, he wouldn't be saying that."
Pereira is currently taking a sporting hiatus but vows to return next year, poised to battle the victor of Magomed Ankalaev vs Aleksandar Rakic slated for later in the month. Meanwhile, Paul, aged 27, gears up for his November bout with Mike Tyson.
In his chat with Ariel, Pereira didn't hold back words when replying to Jamahal Hill's lackluster opinion on the Brazilian's bout with Rountree. "I'm going to be really honest with you Ariel. If that performance with Khalil was ----, where does my performance against Jamahal rank then? So, you know what I mean? If that fight was ----, how can he say that? " He went on: "But I'm going to be honest, I'm not going to further talk about Jamahal. I have a lot of respect for your show. But I'm on a different level [than him]."
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