UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira showed evidence to combat Joaquin Buckley’s accusation that he ducked him.
Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) claimed that Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) rejected a fight offer in 2022 when both men were middleweights.
“He (Pereira) won’t be able to take the fight because they said they wouldn’t be ready in time,” Buckley said on his YouTube channel. “But regardless of all of that, that fight and seeing where Alex Pereira is now, it don’t shun me like, ‘Oh damn, I’m glad I didn’t fight that dude.’ No, no, no. It shows me the ability that I have to take on any fight, to take on any challenge and not back down from nobody, and I’ve been showing that for the past five years.
“I’m a dog just like these guys, but I’m motivated because I see a person like Alex Pereira out there doing what he’s doing, and I was the person willing to take that fight. To be honest with you, I was going to plan on knocking that man out, too. Now, I was going to use my wrestling. I was going to put on my singlet to take his ass down and tire him out, but I was going to plan on finishing him.”
Pereira wasn’t going to let Buckley’s accusation slide. He posted a direct message exchange on Instagram (h/t Championship Rounds) to prove otherwise.
“Of the 15 that ran, you were the first!! Now go back to the end of the line.”
