I started looking into this Pereira guy a few months back. I kept seeing his name pop up in MMA circles, and I got curious. So, I started digging.
First thing I did was check out his record. Turns out, this dude was a beast in kickboxing before he even got to MMA. I’m talking about a 33-7 record with 21 knockouts. He was with Glory Kickboxing for a while, had a 12-4 record there, with eight knockouts. That’s pretty solid.
Then I found out about his history with Adesanya. Apparently, they’ve gone at it four times, and Pereira won three of those first three fights. Their first showdown was way back in Glory of Heroes 1, and that’s where Pereira handed Adesanya his first loss. I watched some clips of those fights. It was brutal.
Getting into the UFC
Pereira made his way to the UFC, and his rise was crazy fast. One of the big fights that got him noticed was his rematch with Jiri Prochazka. They had this insane first fight, and then the rematch at UFC 303? It was wild.
I was watching videos of that fight, and the crowd was going nuts. Pereira knocked out Prochazka in the second round to keep his title. It was a vicious knockout. I mean, there’s this footage from the crowd’s perspective, and you can just feel the energy. It’s insane.
The UFC 300 Incident
But here’s where it gets interesting. I stumbled upon this thing about UFC 300. Jamahal Hill, another fighter, he was saying that Pereira got some kind of advantage during a timeout in their fight. He claimed the ref, Herb Dean, told him to keep blocking his left. It sounded fishy, so I looked into it more.
Turns out, people were talking about it all over the MMA forums. Some were saying it was a legit call, others were crying foul. I watched the fight again, and honestly, it’s hard to tell. But it definitely added some drama to the whole Pereira story.
Becoming a Two-Division Champ
Despite all the controversies, Pereira kept winning. He became a two-division champion at UFC 295. That’s a huge deal. To do that, you gotta be a special kind of fighter. I started following his interviews and press conferences. He’s 36 now, but he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. There was this one interview where he talked about his knockout win over Prochazka, and he hinted at maybe fighting someone else soon. The guy’s always looking for the next challenge.
My Thoughts
So, after all this digging and watching, here’s what I think. Pereira is a legit force in the UFC. He’s got that kickboxing background, which makes him dangerous on his feet. And he’s proven he can hang with the best in MMA.
- His record speaks for itself: 11-2 in MMA, 8-1 in the UFC.
- He’s a two-division champ.
- He’s beaten some big names, including Adesanya multiple times.
Is he the best ever? I don’t know. But he’s definitely up there. And the whole controversy around the UFC 300 incident? It just adds to his mystique. I’m definitely going to keep an eye on him. It’s like watching a real-life action movie, and I’m here for it.
