Alex Pereira is now looking to turn his rivals into friends. Fans have witnessed the intense rivalry between him and Israel Adesanya, but ‘Poatan’ has since made amends, showing support for ‘Izzy’ in his upcoming fight and expressing interest in training together. Recently, he also settled his long-standing feud with Anthony Smith. Additionally, Pereira has opened up about the significance of his tattoos.
Current light heavyweight champion Pereira and Anthony Smith have put their differences aside after a back-and-forth filled with interviews and social media exchanges. Ahead of UFC 307, ‘Poatan’ and Smith sat down for an interview where they discussed tattoos. ‘Lionheart’ was curious about the meaning behind Pereira’s tattoos. In the interview, the Brazilian revealed that his first tattoo was a dragon, explaining,
“I think dragons were popular… Everyone was getting dragons, it was a trend, so I got a dragon. It has no meaning.”
Pereira also noted that most of his tattoos don’t hold any special meaning; he got them simply because they looked cool. Additionally, Smith inquired about Pereira’s back tattoo, which features an animal. The Brazilian explained that the animal symbolizes everything and represents a symbol of war. However, despite their friendly conversation about tattoos, Pereira once challenged Smith to defeat him in sparring.
Alex Pereira Challenges Anthony Smith to a $50,000 Sparring Match
Despite his low ranking and recent losses, Smith once claimed that he possessed the skill set to submit the champion, who was quickly elevated to the top. Following this, Pereira challenged ‘Lionheart’ to a $50,000 grappling match. In an interview, Pereira stated that he would wager $50K but wanted to start on Smith’s back with hooks in, giving himself five minutes to finish the match, ‘Poatan’ said,
“I make a bet with Anthony Smith. I let him take my back with hooks in and give him five minutes to finish me. We can bet. He said I’d win a $50k bonus, he said it was a sure thing.”
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However, the sparring challenge never took place. Instead, both fighters have settled their feud, as shown in a video posted to ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, where Smith is seen meeting with Pereira. In the interview, ‘Lionheart’ expressed that he enjoys Pereira’s fighting style. With their feud now behind them, fans are also set to see the Brazilian fighter in action this weekend against Khalil Rountree Jr.
Also Read: Alex Pereira Receives Surprising Backing From Rival Jamahal Hill For Khalil Rountree Fight
