UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira successfully defended his title at UFC 300 with a first-round knockout win over Jamahal Hill.
Alex Pereira’s legend keeps growing. His latest win at UFC 300 on Saturday night was a testament to that.
It was an action-packed night. As the reigning UFC light heavyweight champion, Pereira delivered a show-stopping performance. He finished off Jamahal Hill with a stunning first-round knockout, defending his belt with gusto.
Pereira waved off referee Dean after a low blow. Seconds later, he blasted Hill with a monstrous left hook. Hill’s eyes rolled back, and he crashed to the canvas. Pereira was right behind him.
He unloaded a few more shots. Hill went limp. Dean rushed in, stopping the contest. The official stoppage came at 3:14 in the opening round.
Pereira was ecstatic. “You guys can see what I was doing in there,” he said. “I told everyone the whole time, he’s a strong guy. I cannot go away from my strategy. That’s exactly what I was doing. Everything went perfectly.”
It was a flawless performance. Pereira didn’t take any damage in the fight, save for a couple of inside leg kicks from Hill. The light heavyweights showed respect for each other. They knew a single mistake could end the fight.
Pereira measured the distance with leg kicks. He never overextended with his strikes. The low blow gave him a moment to reset. Then, he stepped back into the exchange with Hill.
Pereira stepped forward. He unleashed the left hook that sent Hill down to the canvas. The follow-up punches ensured there was no question about the finish. Pereira put Hill down once and for all.
Afterwards, they embraced. They shared a few words, despite the bad blood leading up to the event. Pereira approaches every fight the same way. He got the results he wanted.
“To be honest when I step into the octagon, I don’t see myself as the champion,” Pereira said. “I do the same thing outside of it in my personal life. I don’t let this belt go to my head. I have to come in here and I have to win this belt every time to become the champion. I don’t let it go to my head ever.”
What’s next for Pereira? He talked about making a quick turnaround and competing at UFC 301 in Brazil in May. That seems unlikely. But Pereira did throw out an interesting idea.
“I want to continue defending this belt,” Pereira said. “I talked a lot about fighting in Brazil if I won this fight. I won this fight, I’m not hurt, nothing happened. I want to have a fight at heavyweight.”