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 Poatán in the middle of a training session with his trainer Plinio Cruz.
While walking towards her rival, Sweet Dreams said “Not on Twitter now” repeatedly. Pereira, who does not speak English, punched Hill before realizing his intentions.
The clip then shows the pair near one of the training cages as Pereira threw a pair of gloves at 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 them before the situation escalated.
Pereira and Hill faced off in the main event of the UFC 300 card in April. It didn’t take long for the heavy-handed champion to turn out Hill’s lights in front of a packed T Mobile Arena.
Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill had to be separated during a heated confrontation at UFC PI
Pereira scored a first-round knockout over Hill in the main event of UFC 300 in April.
After holding a cup shot in the first round, Pereira prevented referee Herb Dean from stopping the action before landing the winning combination: painting Hill’s face with his trademark left hand to force a stoppage.
Hill has since invalidated the victory 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 next to the fighting cage. When asked about the gesture, Pereira said: “Maybe he just woke up from UFC 300.”
The war of words flooded social media as Hill continued to cry for a rematch with the champion despite being booked against Prochazka for UFC 311 in January.
Posting a photo 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 record of 12-2, 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 wins.