UFC light heavyweight king Alex Pereira on defending his title against Khalil Rountree Jr.
02/10/2024
Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Alex Pereira (11-2, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) looks to make quick work of Rountree Jr. and add another name to his list of title defenses
UFC light heavyweight champion
Former UFC middleweight champion
Nine wins by knockout
Four first-round finishes
02/10/2024
Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Alex Pereira (11-2, fighting out of Danbury, Conn.) looks to make quick work of Rountree Jr. and add another name to his list of title defenses
UFC light heavyweight champion
Former UFC middleweight champion
Nine wins by knockout
Four first-round finishes
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Alex, obviously we've seen you a lot this year so I'm curious how's fight camp
00:12been like been for this preparation for this you know fighting another high
00:15level striker like Khalil and I guess more importantly physically how are you
00:18feeling after so many back-to-back fight camps for these five round fights?
00:30Well, my body is good. There are always some things that happen, some unexpected things.
00:37I think when you're at a high level it's like that. Things are difficult.
00:42But I'm in a good moment, as you said, fighting many times and with great results
00:49the way it happens. That's what motivates me.
00:52Well, body is good. Things happen sometimes here and there but that's the
00:56price for to be fighting often but I think everything is good. We're getting great results from it.
01:02I know even some of after your last fights you said like oh I might take some time off.
01:06So I'm curious at the beginning of this year did you think you would be this active
01:09or did you think you would have these longer gaps between fights?
01:13Well, last year you said you would take some time off, wait a little bit to fight again.
01:19At the beginning of this year did you think you would be this active or did you think
01:23you would have these longer gaps between fights?
01:26I always want to be fighting but sometimes when they ask me a question like that
01:32I say I want to rest now but I go back to the gym and start training.
01:37I start to see my evolution and I think I have to do it again as soon as possible.
01:42Well, usually after the fights I say that I want to take some time, give a little gap
01:48and then I come back to the gym, I start training and then I start seeing my evolution
01:52and I see that I just have to keep doing this more often.
01:55Did you think it would be Khalil coming off of his suspension but he was on this win streak
02:00but he hadn't headlined a card, he hadn't fought in front of fans in a long time.
02:04Was Khalil even a possibility in your mind?
02:11No, not at the moment. I think he had a fight, he even said my name.
02:17I said, wow, this guy is a little bit far, I wasn't watching him.
02:23But everything happens and we have to be prepared.
02:42But he was far behind on the rank so nothing that came to his mind
02:46but we have to be prepared for everything.
02:48I don't know if you know this but a lot of people have been calling your fans
02:52to call you the final boss for Khalil because he's had so much success
02:55against these kickboxers like Dustin Jacoby and Gokhan Saki
02:59and they view you as the final guy for him to beat in the UFC.
03:03Khalil likes that because it's something the fans can attach to and it's a storyline.
03:08I'm curious, do you like that narrative and do you embrace that role as the final boss for him?
03:13Well, some fans say that you're like the last boss of the game
03:17because Khalil has had so much success against other kickboxers
03:21and they see you as his last challenge in this area.
03:24Does he like this narrative and what do you think about it?
03:27No, I like it too. It's cool.
03:31I saw this fight where he knocked out Gokhan Saki
03:39and I saw something that could have been done and why it was done.
03:44So we're together as a team studying this.
03:47But against Justin Jacoby, I don't agree with the result.
03:54But he won, that's it.
04:00I saw his fight with Gokhan Saki, I saw some things that you had done there
04:05and things that I studied on that fight, you won.
04:08But I saw the fight against Dustin Jacoby and I think he did not win that fight.
04:13What do you think fighters like Dustin, I know you thought he won but it was a very close fight,
04:17but fighters like Gokhan Saki and Dustin, what do you think they're doing wrong against Khalil
04:21or is it something that Khalil is taking advantage of inside the octagon?
04:30What do you think they're doing wrong that Khalil is having success with guys like that?
04:35I can't talk about it here.
04:38I have a lot of good things that I can do wrong.
04:45There are some specific points that I won't talk about here because they're very important.
04:51But one thing I can say is that I'm very well prepared and I'm excited for this fight.
05:00I have a lot of points on his game that I can make him miss,
05:03that I see a lot of mistakes and flaws that I've been studying I can use.
05:07But all that I can say for you guys is that I'm ready to make it a great fight.
05:11In terms of his strengths, a lot of people say he's explosive, he's southpaw,
05:15he's quick with his hands, he has powerful ground and power when he knocks you down.
05:19But is he any different from guys that you have already fought in the UFC?
05:23No, I think it's different. Everyone has their own style.
05:27But I like this style, I like this aggressiveness.
05:31The more aggressive the opponent is, the better it is for me.
05:54How has it been with Shawn in camp for this fight?
05:58How was it to have Shawn in camp for this fight?
06:01It was very good. It was a very hard training.
06:04At the same time, it was a lot of fun to be with him there.
06:08He's a guy with a lot of energy.
06:11Sometimes people talk about him, but with us there, my team, my family,
06:17I can tell you all that he's always respected.
06:20He's a great fighter. We have to be with him.
06:50Which way would he go? Heavyweight or middleweight?
07:21I would actually choose to defend my belt.
07:24For me to go to a lower weight class, it takes some time, needs more preparation.
07:28For me to go to a higher weight class, it also takes more preparation.
07:31So right now, the way that it is, I have weights perfect.
07:34He recently bumped into Jon Jones at the Noche show.
07:37Did seeing him and being around him physically make you think,
07:40I'd rather train with this guy than fight this guy?
07:42Or did seeing him there make you think, this would have been a fantastic fight if Jon was not retiring?
07:46You recently bumped into Jon Jones at the Noche show.
07:49Did seeing him and being around him physically make you think,
07:52I'd rather train with this guy than fight this guy?
07:55Or did seeing him there make you think, this would have been a fantastic fight if Jon was not retiring?
07:59To be honest, I only thought about the training sessions.
08:02He made it very clear to everyone that he would do another fight and retire.
08:07I'm not part of that weight class yet, so it would be a long way from doing this fight with him.
08:14But I definitely want to learn something from him.
08:17He's a guy with a lot of experience.
08:20The way I've always behaved, with an open mind,
08:23I'm definitely going to take advantage of that and that's what I want to do.
08:44How often do people confuse Glover with a gypsy?
08:50I've seen him twice.
08:52I've only seen him twice.
08:54It's not a combination.
08:56This guy comes up to me and says,
09:14You fought here last year, but this year you spent more time here.
09:18We saw you in the mountains, we saw you train at local gyms here in Salt Lake City.
09:22What do you have to say about this city?
09:24How is it for you?
09:26We're in the mountains.
09:28We have a house there.
09:30We have a group of 10 people, more or less.
09:33The fight we gave was in this region, not down here.
09:41To be honest, we didn't know anything here.
09:44We're very focused on this fight.
09:46We avoid going out a lot, we stay at home.
09:50It's hard to say because we don't know much.
09:54It's hard to say because, honestly, we have a big house in the mountains.
09:58We have around 10 people there, but we are super focused on the camp, trying to stay around there, trying to stay home.
10:03We did go to the mountains a little bit, and besides training, so it's hard to put an impression.
10:08Where we are, it's very beautiful.
10:11It's a different look from where we come from.
10:14From Canary Islands.
10:16There are a lot of stones there.
10:18It's beautiful.
10:20I like it.
10:22It's a beautiful landscape.
10:24It's different than Connecticut, so I enjoy being in the mountains.
10:27I enjoy doing the training that we are doing.
10:29It's a beautiful place here.
10:32Awesome.
10:34This will be your fourth fight in less than a year.
10:36What motivates you to be so incredibly active and putting in all the training that you do?
10:50What motivates me is all the benefits I have, being able to help my family.
10:57This is very important to me.
11:00It's always been my dream to be able to help my family.
11:05And for sure, with the work we have been doing, I think I have a very nice story,
11:11where I can motivate people.
11:14With all this success, I can show this to them.
11:31Shama.
11:33Hey Alex, I'm just curious, after this fight was announced,
11:37a lot of people thought that Khalil did not deserve to fight you.
11:40I'm just curious if you agree with that.
11:42Do you think he's done enough to fight you,
11:44or do you think that the fans were correct that he doesn't deserve to fight you?
11:47When this fight was announced, a lot of fans didn't agree and said that Khalil didn't deserve to fight you.
11:55Do you agree that he deserves it?
11:57What do you think about this situation?
11:59I think he deserves it.
12:01It was the same thing that happened to me.
12:03Sometimes we see people jumping the rankings,
12:07that's what happened to me too.
12:09And today I'm the champion.
12:11I proved that I'm not a trick.
12:14I went there, they put me in front of a lot of people,
12:17I hit who I had to hit, and I was the champion.
12:21So I think we're doing the same thing with him.
12:24It's going to be a very good fight.
12:26And I think it's all right.
12:44I've had the opportunity to interview a lot of the guys at the gym.
12:48Every single time they tell me about the inspiration,
12:50the mentoring effect, the leadership that you provide to them in the gym.
12:54What does it mean to you to be a guy who has a whole stable of younger fighters
12:58that are constantly looking up to him?
13:00He's from Connecticut,
13:02so he knows that you're a guy that's always inspiring the local fighters.
13:09What does it mean to you to be inspiring these guys
13:11and being an example to the people that are going up there?
13:14It means a lot to me.
13:16A month ago I was in Brazil,
13:20and I was always visiting the people where I was born.
13:24And the conditions there aren't good, and I lived it.
13:27So I want to try to motivate these people in some way.
13:31We know how big UFC is,
13:33it's not just going to be in my neighborhood where I was born,
13:36it's going to show the world.
13:38I'm an inspiration to these people,
13:41so that's why it's important to me.
14:09Well, we already know that Aline is going to fight next week,
14:13your sister,
14:15and you're going to stay here one more week to fight him.
14:18How do you see her fight going to be in that dome?
14:22Well, it's a little different,
14:24to be fighting there, I don't know what the feeling is.
14:27It's a little different in terms of octagon, in terms of ring.
14:30But she's well prepared,
14:33she's also training in altitude,
14:36she's going to have a little more than a week to fight.
14:39I'd be there for three weeks, and she's going to be there for four weeks.
14:43Today she did sparring,
14:45she did four rounds of sparring.
14:48She's going to fight three rounds,
14:50so she did one more there,
14:52because in the rules of Karate Combat,
14:54there can be an extra round.
14:56So that's it, we're training right,
14:58doing everything in the best way.
15:07She's ready, she's very well prepared for it.
15:11I actually stay here three weeks,
15:13she's going to fight a week after me,
15:15so it's going to be four weeks of training on the elevation.
15:19And she's good today, she did four rounds of sparring,
15:21the fights are three rounds only,
15:23so I think she's ready for it.
15:24And last for me, I saw on Instagram a couple days ago,
15:27you mentioned that maybe down the line,
15:29there might be a nicotine pouch with your name on it.
15:32We know how much you like the zins and stuff like that.
15:35Is that another way that you see yourself
15:37connecting with the fans down the road?
16:06Well, I like it.
16:07I think that's a way for me to stay a little more focused,
16:10because I use it before training, so it's pretty much it.
16:26I don't know yet,
16:27but also if Zin wants to throw an offer,
16:29we can close some deal.
16:35On Tuesday, your ex-rival from kickboxing,
16:38Artem Vakitov,
16:39will fight for his first UFC contract
16:41in the NYE Contender Series.
16:43So how do you think does he has potential
16:45to succeed in your division?
16:47And are you looking forward to face him for the third time
16:50now in UFC cage?
17:06I don't know about the NYE.
17:08After I'm in the UFC,
17:11I kind of stopped following kickboxing.
17:15If it was kickboxing,
17:16I would say he would be the next champion.
17:20But I can't say for the NYE.
17:22Since I'm not following it,
17:23it's hard to answer that.
17:27I think it's very hard.
17:35He has potential,
17:36but I think fighting me in the UFC at this point
17:39will be hard.
18:06These guys are not me.
18:08They are not Adesanya.
18:10They are different.
18:11Well, people get mistaken sometimes,
18:12think that it's just easy to make a story
18:14like they do with Israel Adesanya.
18:16Guys that, you know,
18:17beat me in a fight, like, long ago,
18:20and they think they just come here
18:21and make the same story.
18:22Bro, they are not me.
18:24They are not Israel Adesanya.
18:25Look at the whole story behind that
18:27to get to that.
18:32Shoma.
18:33Shoma.
18:42Shoma.
18:43Shoma.
18:44Shoma.
18:45Shoma.
18:46Shoma.
18:47Shoma.
18:48Shoma.
18:49Shoma.
18:50Shoma.
18:51Shoma.
18:52Shoma.
18:53Shoma.
18:54Shoma.
18:55Shoma.
18:56Shoma.
18:57Shoma.
18:58Shoma.
18:59Shoma.
19:00Shoma.
19:01Shoma.
19:02Shoma.
19:03Shoma.
19:04Shoma.
19:05Shoma.
19:06Shoma.
19:07Shoma.
19:08Shoma.
19:09Shoma.
19:10Shoma.
19:11Shoma.
19:12Shoma.
19:13Shoma.
19:14Shoma.
19:15Shoma.
19:16Shoma.
19:17Shoma.
19:18Shoma.
19:19Shoma.
19:20Shoma.
19:21Shoma.
19:22Shoma.
19:23Shoma.
19:24Shoma.
19:25Shoma.
19:26Shoma.
19:27Shoma.
19:28Shoma.
19:29Shoma.
19:30Shoma.
19:31Shoma.
19:32Shoma.
19:33Shoma.
19:34Shoma.
19:35Shoma.
19:36Shoma.
19:37Shoma.
19:38Shoma.
19:39Shoma.
19:40Shoma.
19:41Shoma.
19:42Shoma.
19:43Shoma.
19:44Shoma.
19:45Shoma.
19:46Shoma.
19:47Shoma.
19:48Shoma.
19:49Shoma.
19:50Shoma.
19:51Shoma.
19:52Shoma.
19:53Shoma.
19:54Shoma.
19:55Shoma.
19:56Shoma.
19:57Shoma.
19:58Shoma.
19:59Shoma.
20:00Shoma.
20:01Shoma.
20:02Shoma.
20:03Shoma.
20:04Shoma.
20:05Shoma.
20:06Shoma.
20:07Shoma.
20:08Shoma.
20:09Shoma.
20:10Shoma.
20:11Shoma.
20:12Shoma.
20:13Shoma.
20:14Shoma.
20:15Shoma.
20:16Shoma.
20:17Shoma.
20:18Shoma.
20:19Shoma.
20:20Shoma.
20:21Shoma.
20:22Shoma.
20:23Shoma.
20:24Shoma.
20:25Shoma.
20:26Shoma.
20:27Shoma.
20:28Shoma.
20:29Shoma.
20:30Shoma.
20:31Shoma.
20:32Shoma.
20:33Shoma.
20:34Shoma.
20:35Shoma.
20:36Shoma.
20:37Shoma.
20:38Shoma.
20:39Shoma.
20:40Shoma.
20:41Shoma.
20:42Shoma.
20:43Shoma.
20:44Shoma.
20:45Shoma.
20:46Shoma.
20:47Shoma.
20:48Shoma.
20:49Shoma.
20:50Shoma.
20:51Shoma.
20:52Shoma.
20:53Shoma.
20:54Shoma.
20:55Shoma.
20:56Shoma.
20:57Shoma.
20:58Shoma.
20:59Shoma.
21:00Shoma.
21:01Shoma.
21:02Shoma.
21:03Shoma.
21:04Shoma.
21:05Shoma.
21:06Shoma.
21:07Shoma.
21:08Shoma.
21:09Shoma.
21:10Shoma.
21:11Shoma.
21:12Shoma.
21:13Shoma.
21:14Shoma.
21:15Shoma.
21:16Shoma.
21:17Shoma.
21:18Shoma.
21:19Shoma.
21:20Shoma.
21:21Shoma.
21:22Shoma.
21:23Shoma.
21:24Shoma.
21:25Shoma.
21:26Shoma.
21:27Shoma.
21:28Shoma.
21:29Shoma.
21:30Shoma.
21:31Shoma.
21:32Shoma.
21:33Shoma.
21:34Shoma.
21:35Shoma.
21:36Shoma.
21:37Shoma.
21:38Shoma.
21:39Shoma.
21:40Shoma.
21:41Shoma.
21:42Shoma.
21:43Shoma.
21:44Shoma.
21:45Shoma.
21:46Shoma.
21:47Shoma.
21:48Shoma.
21:49Shoma.
21:50Shoma.
21:51Shoma.
21:52Shoma.
21:53Shoma.
21:54Shoma.
21:55Shoma.
21:56Shoma.
21:57Shoma.
21:58Shoma.
21:59Shoma.
22:00Shoma.
22:01Shoma.
22:02Shoma.
22:03Shoma.
22:04Shoma.
22:05Shoma.
22:06Shoma.
22:07Shoma.
22:08Shoma.
22:09Shoma.
22:10Shoma.
22:11Shoma.
22:12Shoma.
22:13Shoma.
22:14Shoma.
22:15Shoma.
22:16Shoma.
22:17Shoma.
22:18Shoma.
22:19Shoma.
22:20Shoma.
22:21Shoma.
22:22Shoma.
22:23Shoma.
22:24Shoma.
22:25Shoma.
22:26Shoma.
22:27Shoma.
22:28Shoma.
22:29Shoma.
22:30Shoma.
22:31Shoma.
22:32Shoma.
22:33Shoma.
22:34Shoma.
22:35Shoma.
22:36Shoma.
22:37Shoma.
22:38Shoma.
22:39Shoma.
22:40Shoma.
22:41Shoma.
22:42Shoma.
22:43Shoma.
22:44Shoma.
22:45Shoma.
22:46Shoma.
22:47Shoma.
22:48Shoma.
22:49Shoma.
22:50Shoma.
22:51Shoma.
22:52Shoma.
22:53Shoma.
22:54Shoma.
22:55Shoma.
22:56Shoma.
22:57Shoma.
22:58Shoma.
22:59Shoma.
23:00Shoma.
23:01Shoma.
23:02Shoma.
23:03Shoma.
23:04Shoma.
23:05Shoma.
23:06Shoma.
23:07Shoma.
23:08Shoma.
23:09Shoma.
23:10Shoma.
23:11Shoma.
23:12Shoma.
23:13Shoma.
23:14Shoma.
23:15Shoma.
23:16Shoma.
23:17Shoma.
23:18Shoma.
23:19Shoma.
23:20Shoma.
23:21Shoma.
23:22Shoma.
23:23Shoma.
23:24Shoma.
23:25Shoma.
23:26Shoma.
23:27Shoma.
23:28Shoma.
23:29Shoma.
23:30Shoma.
23:31Shoma.
23:32Shoma.
23:33Shoma.
23:34Shoma.
23:35Shoma.
23:36Shoma.
23:37Shoma.
23:38Shoma.
23:39Shoma.
23:40Shoma.
23:41Shoma.
23:42Shoma.
23:43Shoma.
23:44Shoma.
23:45Shoma.
23:46Shoma.
23:47Shoma.
23:48Shoma.
23:49Shoma.
23:50Shoma.
23:51Shoma.
23:52Shoma.
23:53Shoma.
23:54Shoma.
23:55Shoma.
23:56Shoma.
23:57Shoma.
23:58Shoma.
23:59Shoma.
24:00Shoma.
24:01Shoma.
24:02Shoma.
24:03Shoma.
24:04Shoma.
24:05Shoma.
24:06Shoma.
24:07Shoma.
24:08Shoma.
24:09Shoma.
24:10Shoma.
24:11Shoma.
24:12Shoma.
24:13Shoma.
24:14Shoma.
24:15Shoma.
24:16Shoma.
24:17Shoma.
24:18Shoma.
24:19Shoma.
24:20Shoma.
24:21Shoma.
24:22Shoma.
24:23Shoma.
24:24Shoma.
24:25Shoma.
24:26Shoma.
24:27Shoma.
24:28Shoma.
24:29Shoma.
24:30Shoma.
24:31Shoma.
24:32Shoma.
24:33Shoma.
24:34Shoma.
24:35Shoma.
24:36Shoma.
24:37Shoma.
24:38Shoma.
24:39Shoma.
24:40Shoma.
24:41Shoma.
24:42Shoma.
24:43Shoma.
24:44Shoma.
24:45Shoma.
24:46Shoma.
24:47Shoma.
24:48Shoma.
24:49Shoma.
24:50Shoma.
24:51Shoma.
24:52Shoma.
24:53Shoma.
24:54Shoma.
24:55Shoma.
24:56Shoma.
24:57Shoma.