Alex Pereira was less than pleased with a fellow UFC fighter who hypothetically bet against him.
Those who have opposed ‘Poatan’ throughout his MMA journey haven’t had much success. The South American has been a force since switching from kickboxing, having one of the quickest rises from obscurity to superstardom in the UFC. Less than five years after joining the company, the 38-year-old has the chance to become the first UFC fighter to hold gold in three separate divisions, but the belief in his ability continues to be questioned.
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While not many will argue against Alex Pereira’s striking prowess, his lack of grappling leaves lingering doubts about his potential. Despite being a standup-focused competitor, Pereira was confident that he could pose enough threat to Jon Jones should they ever fight. Rumors of the matchup generated much debate, and one man who sided with Jones, to Pereira’s annoyance, was fellow Brazilian Melquizael Costa.
Speaking to Connect Cast, the UFC featherweight announced Jones as his winner in the fantasy fight against Pereira.
“Jon Jones would smash [Alex Pereira],” Costa said. “He’d take him down to the ground, man. It’d be over. Everyone has a chance, sure, but I don’t think ‘Poatan’ would be the favorite. But he has a chance.”
The comments received backlash from fans who disagreed with Costa’s perceived disrespectful dismissal of his fellow countryman.
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Attempting to justify his statement, Melk Costa shared a message.
“Never ask me a question thinking I will stay on top of the wall,” Costa stated. “If this fight happens it will be two Goats fighting, the best striker vs. the best grappling. And yeah I think [Jon Jones] would win.”
Jon Jones arguably has the strongest case in the sports history to be called the greatest of all time. Choosing Jones to beat anyone feels like a safe bet, but Alex Pereira wasn’t thrilled with Costa’s allegiance.
Instead of ignoring Costa’s opinion, Pereira raised his concerns.
“[Melquizael Costa] bro you root for whoever you want and it’s all right!” Pereira responded. “F***ed up is saying something you don’t even know and as if I did something to you. When I was at the LFA and you were going to fight and the day before and you came and turned your phone on my face when I was at the hotel drinking coffee and I was chewing, you didn’t even ask if you could and I say in the moral you had to ask me if I could record a video, maybe you’d get mad I called your attention.”
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“But I thought you weren’t mad because we were having dinner together in Mexico and I was giving you strength because you were crying because you lost the fight, and now when you win two fights you’re the almighty. Bro I can lose 8 matches in a row!”
