Alex Pereira Admits He Was Scared to Fight UFC Star: "I Had Fear"

By: Alok Nayak Image Credit: UFC

[{"selector":"#anim-bfa2ef42-5a91-448c-883c-129c2d8a32f6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.59992254233901%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Alex Pereira is the new UFC middleweight champion after beating long reigning champion, Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

[{"selector":"#anim-ba0c00bf-205c-4c73-a532-3b670f838737 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(19.120903502788064%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-751df457-7c77-4fce-830c-be56e48c89e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4226d234-45a3-40c9-b259-6aeb8268406a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.27273%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6533d38c-8a2d-445d-a227-9779fcf5e73f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b9e4f6a-a566-42dd-a4fb-a7576a403c39","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e5bc7ea-b953-4c44-840c-8cdfca1fa986","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.80198%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Newly crowned champion, Alex Pereira has fought many world class fighters throughout his kickboxing and MMA career.

[{"selector":"#anim-19a17831-1b49-4ce0-9f06-31ed06ada92e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(59.5058592856872%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d27a0cde-dad2-4791-a4d5-66feec2261b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5fdeefcf-130e-4a86-8a02-27e6638cd009","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.37705%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-71eeb5f9-b11d-475d-95b5-e835eb8d6224","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-807b9ec6-1d00-4b41-bc46-b9958c6d38a8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-73.53362%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] However, he admits that he got scared when he came face to face with UFC middleweight Sean Strickland.

[{"selector":"#anim-4ac18999-e5a9-4b8a-bd5d-fdaf674e830f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9420b3dd-8348-43da-824f-b68fb5b91073","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 67.53287%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-33033cb1-db27-4d7e-bc5b-62b6834f62aa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7f3cb544-6491-438d-99db-e72f05acb40f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(10.136718660687203%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Alex Pereira shares his honest thoughts on that fight and admitted that he had fear going into that fight because of Strickland's experience and fighting style.

[{"selector":"#anim-c6fcdc97-b150-435d-a753-5157675a547e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(11.169642888513906%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acea9df4-f666-4a41-b59a-281ebd8f5f05","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc3d4395-be55-4a9d-8d54-a64c8dc81056","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-312.59844%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ddbc257d-e252-490a-aa36-d213f4d54266","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a174abac-263e-4045-906a-8654b298cf82","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.62745%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] "Strickland had 25 fights, was doing well in the UFC, ranked no 4 in the middleweight rankings, he's dangerous, he's experienced."- Pereira said.

[{"selector":"#anim-6f3e45b3-b50b-4caa-8ef7-d612005bd474","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7593a66-d4aa-46e4-9758-638096d9c749","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 65.65114%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a481ba5a-f1ab-48e5-9a2b-5f5626141b2c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43d95f19-6585-40b3-9818-c87dd8f483b9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] "I was scared but when I heard him talk I relaxed a little bit."- Sean Strickland's hilarious trash talk helped Pereira calm down going into the fight.

[{"selector":"#anim-d5ab9d3c-029d-4e9f-822f-20b737a7f41e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(18.9036205084382%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e544c56b-5000-48a8-a717-f5616e362cb7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-261c276f-ab67-4c77-9df6-f1280f38cbd1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.01639%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75d72638-e122-41a4-83fa-dcd10c99684c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-105db59a-9dfb-44dc-a27b-9047fc009ffe","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-160.35243%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] However, Alex Pereira got scared and cautious when Sean Strickland gave him a serious look inside the octagon before the fight started.

[{"selector":"#anim-37436995-df2e-4b2c-b47a-8c1345dbe7ae [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.237784218422583%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1caa4c92-f707-40d2-99c9-2efe3eb9c0c7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-30287d7a-342e-4475-a587-708cb1cab107","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aad2d5ea-8424-4477-9510-fa9f054b8d10","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94bc753a-bcc1-4c01-90cc-98a4137be989","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-162.00874%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] "That was when I became scared. I thought this guy wants to kill me. This was a different guy from everything else."- Alex Pereira stated talked about stare down with Strickland in the octagon.

Alex Pereira Admits He Was Scared to Fight UFC Star: "I Had Fear"

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