SUMMARY
- Recently, Dana White announced that Alex Pereira will be fighting against Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
- Both fighters got the call to headline UFC 300 just a day before UFC 298.
UFC 298 took place over the weekend, and amidst all the drama, the UFC 300 headliner was dropped. With the long-running saga finally coming to a close, fans had a rather mixed reaction to what they got. However, judging by what Alex Pereira had to say, he intends to give the fans their money’s worth.
Recently, UFC president Dana White announced that ‘Poatan‘ will face Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. For the most part, the reaction from fans was a little mixed, and understandably so. Noticing this, Pereira’s head coach recently stated, “(Alex) always spoke that he wants to defend the belt in a very fast pace. Now this would be the opportunity, with the cards being so close to each other, for him to be able to defend at UFC 300 and maybe in Rio (UFC 301)”.
Alex Pereira says he wants to defend his belt both at #UFC300 and #UFC301 in Rio.
“[Alex] always spoke that he wants to defend the belt in a very fast pace. Now this would be the opportunity, with the cards being so close to each other, for him to be able to defend at UFC 300… pic.twitter.com/W5wtTJWuZm
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 18, 2024
Although the main event for UFC 300 is not as spectacular as promised, Pereira wants to cheer the fans up. As such, he has promised to do something never done before and make the quickest championship turnaround in UFC history. Whilst fighters like Khamzat Chimaev have fought even quicker, no champion has attempted a feat like Pereira.
Alex Pereira got the call to headline UFC 300 just before UFC 298
Notably, there is a growing feeling that the UFC 300 main event was put together at the eleventh hour. Moreover, avid readers of ours will know that Alex Pereira was originally rumored to headline UFC 301. Thus, excluding him from conversations for UFC 300. As it turns out, that was the case, but with the promotion unable to find another headliner, plans needed to be changed.
As a result, following the conclusion of UFC 298, some were left a little surprised by the announcement. Interestingly, Jamahal Hill, who was in attendance for the event, cut a very smug figure afterward. Speaking in numerous interviews, Hill revealed that he had only gotten the call to headline UFC 300 on Friday, just a day before UFC 298. Having suffered an Achilles injury in the past, there are concerns regarding his recovery.
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For the most part, Hill believes that preponing the fight by a month will not have major consequences. With his recovery and training camp well underway, he is expected to be fully fit for the fight. As for Pereira, he is almost always ready to fight and had previously thrown his name in the hat for UFC 300 as well. Although he wanted a trilogy fight with Israel Adesanya, Hill will have to suffice for now.
Who are Alex Pereira’s upcoming opponents?
Whilst fans are aware of Jamahal Hill being Alex Pereira’s opponent, they may not know his history with the Brazilian. Previously, Hill beat Pereira’s mentor, Glover Teixeira, at UFC 283 to claim the Light Heavyweight title. Shortly thereafter, the 32-year-old vacated the title after his Achilles injury. In the meantime, the title ended up with Texiera’s top student, Pereira, instead.
Now, the Brazilian has the opportunity to avenge his teacher’s loss and make his first title defense, simultaneously. Naturally, owing to the feats he has already accomplished, many favor him going into the matchup against Hill. Although it could end up being entirely different, Alex assumes that he will breeze through the fight with ease, and prepare for the next challenge.
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In the first event of 2024, Magomed Ankalaev ran it back with Johnny Walker. After securing a spectacular KO finish of Walker, Ankalaev immediately called for a shot against Pereira. Whilst his teacher and coach, Glover, seemingly agreed, Alex clarified that Hill would get his chance first. Thus, if all goes according to plan, fans can expect to see Alex fight Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev within a month of each other.
