UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and long-time contender Anthony Smith have squashed their beef.
Pereira most recently competed at UFC 303, where he defended his title for the second time by beating Jiri Prochazka. UFC 303 was originally supposed to be headlined by Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, but after the booking was scrapped due to an injury to the Irishman, ‘Po Atan’ was asked to step in on short notice.
Pereira’s rival Smith also had to step in on short notice to face Roman Dolidze, who was initially set to face Carlos Ulberg before he pulled out.
Smith and Pereira have been at odds in recent months, with the American questioning the Brazilian stoic persona and dismissed his skillset as limited. However, their recent run-in at UFC 303 has resulted in a dramatic shift in their relationship.
In a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Smith discussed the evolving dynamics between himself and Pereira.
“Alex and I have this very cool relationship [now],” Smith explained. “I think it’s very, very cool what we have going on. We’re very competitive in general, but when we’re in person, I thought it was so cool how we have this respect for each other. Because it’s not awkward…
“It’s unfair of me to speak about him as a fighter and then we get all this riled-up nonsense. I think it would be unfair of me to not say on the flip side how in social situations or when we’re in person, how super respectful he is.”
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