The animosity between former UFC opponents Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill threatened to boil over this week.
Pereira, the reigning light heavyweight champion, and former titleholder Hill met inside the cage at UFC 300 this past April, headlining the pay-per-view with “Poatan’s” gold on the line. The American’s plan to regain the belt was quickly foiled when he fell victim to the Brazilian’s renowned left hook inside the very first round.
Since then, “Sweet Dreams” has attracted plenty of criticism from the MMA community for his reaction to defeat. Hill has continuously blamed Herb Dean’s brief intervention after Pereira was struck low, despite subsequently touching gloves with the champ to resume the fight and throwing a strike at the same time as the shot that floored him.
Those remarks have been joined by claims that Pereira ‘fears’ running it back with the #3-ranked contender. Unsurprisingly, “Poatan” didn’t look scared when Hill confronted him at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on Thursday.
A video released by Full Send MMA shows Hill approaching his ex-opponent before stating, “Not on Twitter now,” as Pereira went for a respectful fist bump.
At that point, “Poatan” switched his attitude toward “Sweet Dreams,” throwing a pair of gloves and inviting him to spar. Hill did not take up the offer.
Before the possibility of the pair sharing the Octagon once again becomes a reality, they’ll both seemingly have other work to do in the new year.
For Hill, a fight date is officially in the calendar. He’ll meet a fellow former champ in Jiří Procházka at the first PPV of 2025, UFC 311 at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome on Jan. 19.
Pereira, meanwhile, is without a date for his fourth title defense. He is, however, expected to next face the challenge of Magomed Ankalaev.
