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Alex Pereira Sends Warm Message to Fighter Who Beat Him in His MMA Debut Ahead of Dana White’s Contender Series Appearance

Posted on by angelo
Alex Pereira Sends Warm Message to Fighter Who Beat Him in His MMA Debut Ahead of Dana White’s Contender Series Appearance

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has sent a heartfelt message to the first man to beat him in MMA, Quemuel Ottoni, as he prepares to fight on the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Alex Pereira continued his reign over the UFC light heavyweight division with another spectacular victory over Jiri Prochazka this past Saturday at UFC 303.

“Poatan” has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars since his debut in 2021 with five of his nine fights in the promotion having been title fights.

Brazil's Alex Pereira stands over Czech Republic's Jiri Prochazka in a light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena...
Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images

Who is Quemuel Ottoni?

Quemuel Ottoni was the first man to beat Pereira in MMA. After “Poatan’s” extremely successful kickboxing career, the 36-year-old made his MMA debut in 2015 at Jungle Fight 82 and was submitted in the third round by Ottoni.

After his win over Pereira, the 31-year-old struggled to maintain his momentum and spent three years winning one fight and then losing one.

Despite this, he decided to move up from 185 pounds to the welterweight class, where he found more success.

Ottoni last fought two years ago at Jungle Fight 107, submitting Jose Diaz in the third round of their fight for the vacant welterweight title.

Subsequently, the Brazilian had to fight under the PFL banner three times, but each time the fight was unsuccessful, meaning he has not fought in the last two years.

Alex Pereira sends warm message to first MMA fighter to beat him

The UFC recently announced that Ottoni will participate in the upcoming season of Dana White’s Contender Series, where he will face undefeated prospect Kody Steele in a welterweight bout on September 10.

After successfully defending his title at UFC 303, Pereira sent a warm message to Ottoni, even though he handed him one of his only two defeats in MMA.

“Ah man, I wish him well,” Pereira began at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I hope he can achieve a lot, if he succeeds as much as me, (the UFC) is going to make him special and good, so I want him to achieve that too, good luck to him,” continued the Brazilian.

The likelihood of a rematch between Pereira and Ottoni under the UFC banner is extremely unlikely, with “Poatan” now competing in the 205-pound weight class, and even considering a move up to heavyweight.

Pereira also sent a warm message to Prochazka after brutally knocking him out in the second round for the second time. Following his loss, the Czech fighter said he needed to “evolve or retire.”

“I wish him good luck and a speedy recovery for everything, may he be good in his future endeavors, a message for him, I know he talked a lot about spirituality, just so he knows that the same God who blesses us is the same one who protects us and I pray a lot for him and for me to be well after this fight,” finished the champion.

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