Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has weighed in on Alex Pereira’s latest social media jab.
Smith earned a statement win over previously undefeated Vitor Petrino at UFC 301 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro. He got back in the win column after a knockout loss to Khalil Rountree in December.
Smith, who was a significant betting underdog entering UFC 301, is now back in the thick of things in the light heavyweight title picture. The division’s titleholder is Pereira, who most recently finished Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 main event.
Smith has been raw and honest in his evaluation of Pereira’s success inside the Octagon. He’s pointed to Pereira’s limited skillset, led by his kickboxing, as unprecedented in UFC history.
Pereira has taken this tongue-in-cheek criticism personally, even going as far as challenging Smith to a $50k grappling match. As Smith got ready to fight Petrino at UFC 301, Pereira posted on Instagram a video of him falling asleep on his coach’s shoulder while sitting cage side.
Anthony Smith answers Alex Pereira’s ‘weird’ napping video
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Smith responded to Pereira’s impromptu nap during his UFC 301 Octagon intro.
“Someone showed me the video, I didn’t see it live or anything. It’s weird,” Smith responded to Pereira. “I don’t come for him, I’ve never come for him like that. Of course, you have the title belt in my division, so when people say what’s your goal, I want to fight the champion, I want to fight Alex Pereira. But he goes out of his way to pick at me, which is fine, it doesn’t bother me. I think it’s awesome and it’s a lot of fun, he has a sense of humor as I’ve always said…
“I enjoy that part of it, but it’s just weird to me.”
Smith is still likely one or two wins away from a possible title shot after the win over Petrino. Pereira, meanwhile, is eying a rematch with Jiří Procházka for his next light heavyweight title defense.
