It’s been almost a month since Alex Pereira defended his UFC light heavyweight title with an impressive fourth-round knockout over Khalil Rountree at UFC 307.
However, despite the big victory, Pereira isn’t fully in the clear just yet. The Brazilian fighter recently shared on the Podpah podcast that his hand still hurts from that hard-fought bout, which took place on October 5 in Salt Lake City.
“That fourth round, I was throwing jabs and hurting my hand,” Pereira revealed. “I swear. I was thinking, ‘My hand must be broken.’ It still hurts. Not all the time, no, but if I squeeze here, it hurts.”
It’s a stark reminder that even in victory, fighters endure a lot. For Pereira, that toll seems to be a lingering ache in his hand from his successful defense.
Throughout 2024, Pereira has been unstoppable, going 3-0 with all three wins coming by knockout. His victories over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka set the tone, and the bout with Rountree continued that trend, bringing Pereira to an impressive five-fight winning streak since moving up to the 205-pound division.
Alex Pereira Opens Up About Handy Injury Suffered at UFC 307
He admitted that even though his jab was working well against Rountree, it came at a painful cost:
“I saw that the jabs were working and thought, ‘I have to hurt him,’” Pereira explained:
“But then I hit him right there in the [forehead], one of the hardest parts [of the body], and it kept hurting [laughs].”
For now, it’s unclear what’s next for Pereira. There have been rumors circulating about his potential future opponents, but as of now, the UFC hasn’t confirmed his next fight. Fans hoping to see him headline UFC 310 in December will likely be disappointed. After Belal Muhammad’s recent withdrawal from the Dec. 7 main event, Pereira’s name has been floated around in some circles. However, the UFC hasn’t made any official announcement on him stepping into that slot.
Pereira’s recent performances have made him one of the hottest fighters in the UFC right now. His power and precision have set him apart, and his ability to win in such a dominant fashion has thrilled fans. But this hand injury adds a layer of uncertainty. While Pereira might be ready to keep his momentum going, his body could need a bit more time to heal before he steps back into the octagon.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
