In their final faceoff before UFC 300, Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill exchanged predictions of victory, with Hill shrugging off boos from the crowd and discussing his comeback from an Achilles’ injury, while Pereira vowed to make Hill pay for disrespecting him at a press conference.
The final UFC 300 faceoff was intense. Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill locked eyes, trading bold predictions of each other’s downfall come Saturday night.
Hill, despite the crowd’s boos, remained unfazed. He was in Las Vegas, ready to discuss his triumphant return from a potentially career-ending Achilles’ injury.
“This is everything to me,” Hill confessed to UFC commentator Joe Rogan. His staredown with champ Pereira had just ended. “Boo or cheer, it doesn’t matter. What I almost lost, what I did lose, it lit a fire in me. A big one.
“I’m here to give it my all. Just happy to be back.”
Hill walked away from the mic, grunting. The faceoff’s adrenaline was clearly still coursing through his veins.
Pereira, on the other hand, had a promise to make. He vowed to make his first light heavyweight title challenger pay for disrespecting him at the press conference. Hill had smashed a stone head Pereira used for self-promotion after a heated faceoff.
This was a stark contrast to the friendly handshakes and autograph requests from Hill earlier in the fight week. Pereira was visibly upset about the sudden change.
“Fighting at UFC 300 is a big deal,” Pereira said via translator. “It’s a huge opportunity. I’m excited. A few days ago, this guy said he respected me, even asked for my autograph, and then he did what he did yesterday. But tomorrow, he’ll get his.”
Pereira and Hill are headlining UFC 300 on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pereira is defending his belt after winning the vacant title with a knockout of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. Hill, on the other hand, is hoping to reclaim the belt he lost due to his Achilles’ injury. This injury had sidelined him for 15 months after his dominant title win over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283.