Pereira: Khamzat Callout ‘Doesn’t Make Sense’

Pereira is an expert on senseless callouts.

Khamzat Chimaev believes UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira would be the easiest fight of his MMA career, which may explain why “Borz” continues to lobby for a “Poatan” showdown, despite the fact that Chimaev does not compete in the 205-pound weight class and has yet to defeat anyone ranked in the Top 15 at middleweight.

If you think that makes no sense; well, it doesn’t make any sense to Pereira, either.

“So actually, everything started after the Adesanya fight when I became the middleweight champion,” Pereira said on his YouTube channel (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “It was a war with Adesanya. I was injured after the fight, and Chimaev directly called me out, wanted to fight against me, take my belt, and whatever. I said, ‘Okay, that’s fine. Let’s fight at light heavyweight.’

“He denied. He didn’t want to fight me at light heavyweight and afterwards, now I’m the champ at light heavyweight, and he calls me out at light heavyweight. So, this only shows that these type of fighters are trying to run behind the hype and the fame of the champions, and it doesn’t make sense. Now I have to do what? Call him out at heavyweight or what? So, it doesn’t make sense.”

Pereira (9-2) is expected to face former champion Jamahal Hill when “Sweet Dreams” returns from injury at some point in 2024. As for Chimaev, who remains undefeated at 13-0, the promotion will need to find him another opponent after booking Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis for UFC 297.