Alex Pereira made an emotional statement to his fight team about how to become champions – whether they ever win even a world title.
Light-heavyweight champion Pereira has won world titles at two weight classes in the UFC, as well as picking up Glory Championships during his kickboxing days. However, he views being a champion as something that can be done outside of the cage as much as in it.
With days to go until his latest light-heavyweight title defence against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, he gave a speech at his gym. There, he explained to his teammates how to become champions in an emotional moment caught on camera.
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Alex Pereira offers inspirational speech to team ahead of UFC 313
One of the biggest victories of Alex Pereira’s life was not inside of the ocagton, but against his struggles with alcohol. He explained to his team during a recent video on the UFC’s YouTube channel that while even becoming a pro fighter may allude most, they can still be champions.
“The dream of being a fighter, to make a living from fighting or of being a champion? As Glover [Texeira] says, that’s not for everyone,” he explained. “Unfortunately that’s how it works. But if you can’t be a champion as a fighter you can be a champion in life.
“You can become a better person, a better father, a better mother, a better brother. This is important, too. I’m sure that if I wasn’t the best champion today, I changed my life. I stopped drinking after four years of training.
“I already won, that’s a victory and it makes me a champion in life. That’s it. Thank you for everything, thank you for the motivation. Chama.”
Alex Pereira could wipe out his division with UFC 313 win
A victory on Saturday night over Magomed Ankalaev would complete an intensive 11 months for Pereira that will have seen him defend his belt four times. He has all but cleared out the entire top five aside from his next challenger, and will need something new if he wins this one.
There have been calls for Pereira to move up to pursue a fight with Jon Jones for an unprecedented third world title. However, this seems unlikely as the UFC push towards a bout between Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall.
Another option could be a move to the boxing ring, where callouts from Jake Paul and Oleksandr Usyk have been tempting for the UFC champion.