Alex Pereira praises Ilia Topuria for backing him at UFC White House press conference

Alex Pereira has opened up about a moment of unexpected solidarity from Ilia Topuria at the recent UFC White House press conference, where Topuria stepped in to support the Brazilian champion during a tense exchange with Josh Hokit.

Pereira, 38, holds the light heavyweight title and carries a 13-4 record into his current reign. The six-foot-four Brazilian, who fights out of Teixeira MMA and Fitness, is one of the most active strikers in the sport, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 62 percent accuracy. He explained that the confrontation with Hokit put him at a disadvantage because the back-and-forth was conducted in English, leaving him reliant on translation. He came away genuinely impressed when Topuria chose to stand by him in that moment.

Topuria, ranked second in the lightweight division and first in the pound-for-pound standings, holds a 17-1 record and fights out of Spain under the banner of Climent Club. The 29-year-old orthodox striker is five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach and averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute. Pereira suggested Topuria intervened because he felt the language barrier was giving Hokit an unfair edge in the exchange.

Hokit, a 28-year-old unbeaten prospect with a perfect 5-0 record, was the other party in the confrontation, though the nature of his involvement appears to have centered on the verbal exchange rather than any physical altercation.

Why it matters

• The moment highlights an emerging respect between two of the UFC's most prominent champions across different weight classes.
• Topuria's pound-for-pound standing and Pereira's championship status mean any public dynamic between them draws significant attention.
• The exchange with Hokit, an unbeaten lightweight prospect, adds an unexpected dimension to the story heading into the division's next chapter.