At the media day for the upcoming UFC White House event in New Jersey, Josh Hockit had a tense encounter with Alex Pereira. Hockit stopped in front of the Brazilian champion and stared at him for approximately one minute before walking away. After the confrontation, Pereira simply commented, "He's crazy," according to journalist Robbie Fox. The incident raises questions about whether Pereira will respond to Hockit's provocations at the upcoming press conference. Hockit had previously called out Alex after his last fight.
At a media day ahead of the UFC White House event in New Jersey, light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira found himself at the center of a tense moment when Josh Hockit approached and stared him down for roughly a minute before turning and walking away. According to journalist Robbie Fox, Pereira responded to the encounter with a brief but pointed assessment of his would-be challenger: "He's crazy."
Alex Pereira, known as "Poatan," holds a 13-4-0 record and currently sits atop the light heavyweight division as champion. The 38-year-old Brazilian, who stands six-foot-four at 193 centimeters with a 79-inch reach, trains out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness. He is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at a 62 percent accuracy rate.
Josh Hockit had previously called out Pereira following his most recent fight, and the staredown at media day appears to be a continuation of those efforts to draw the champion's attention. Whether Pereira will address the provocation more directly at the upcoming press conference remains to be seen.
Why it matters
- Hockit is openly pursuing a fight with the light heavyweight champion, using public confrontations to build pressure
- Pereira's reaction, or lack of one, at the press conference could signal how seriously he views the callout
- The incident keeps divisional attention on who Pereira fights next and whether Hockit can force his way into that conversation
