UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former title holder and challenger Jamahal Hill had to be separated after a heated confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
On Thursday, Fullsend MMA posted a video of Hill approaching Poatan amid a training session with his coach Plinio Cruz.
While walking toward his rival, Sweet Dreams said ‘Not on Twitter now,’ repeatedly. Pereira, who does not speak English, fist-bumped Hill before realizing his intentions.
The clip then cut to the pair near one of the training cages as Pereira tossed a pair of gloves to Hill, signaling a challenge.
They continued to exchange words despite the language barrier as the Brazilian repeatedly pointed toward the cage. After the tension-filled interaction, Cruz managed to separate the two before the situation worsened.
Pereira and Hill met in the main event of the marquee UFC 300 card in April. It did not take long for the heavy-handed champion to put Hill’s lights out in front of a packed T Mobile Arena.
Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill had to be separated during a heated confrontation at the UFC PI
Pereira scored a first round knockout over Hill in the main event of the marquee UFC 300 in April
After sustaining a shot to the cup in the first round, Pereira kept referee Herb Dean from pausing the action before delivering the winning combination – painting Hill’s face with his signature left hand to force a stoppage.
Since then, Hill has invalidated the win and campaigned for a rematch. Meanwhile, Pereira defended the title twice, finishing Jiri Prochazka in June and Khalil Rountree Jr. in October.
Following Pereira’s victory over Rountree, Hill was seen mockingly yawning at the fight cage side. When asked about the gesture, Pereira said ‘Maybe he just woke up from UFC 300.’
The war of words flooded into social media as Hill kept crying for a rematch with the champion despite being booked against Prochazka for UFC 311 in January.
Posting a picture of Hill and Prochazka facing off, Pereira wrote ‘Calm down, my son. Pass this test and Dad will give you a second chance.’
Hill enters his next fight with a 12-2 record, including seven knockouts and four first-round finishes.
On the other hand, Pereira’s next fight is yet to be announced. The light heavyweight king sits atop his division with a 12-2 record, 10 knockouts and four first-round victories.