Alex Pereira has broken down the heated press conference incident with Josh Hokit ahead of UFC Freedom 250, explaining how the trash talk and ensuing altercation unfolded from his perspective.
Hokit directed trash talk at Pereira during the pre-fight press conference for the June 14 card, prompting Ilia Topuria to throw an object toward Hokit in defense of Pereira. Hokit was then escorted out, and the press conference ended early.
"You guys saw it there. I don't understand English, and I think Topuria felt that he saw that, and he stepped up as a brother," Pereira said, adding, "Threw the bottle or whatever the case was on Hokit's face. You saw that he was going too far. To Hokit, how am I going to even talk about that guy? Maybe he's one of those that doesn't even get along with his family. You see how that guy has attitude. Maybe he doesn't get along with his brother, stuff like that."
Pereira expects a tighter security presence moving forward but says his own approach will not change. "Fight week, after this, we're probably going to have a lot of people around not letting anything happen," he said. "(I'm) just going to stay cool and composed like I always am. If on fight week this guy is able to get to me to try and do anything, it's just messed up by the organization. I'm going to stay the same."
At UFC Freedom 250, Pereira is set to face Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event, while Hokit meets Derrick Lewis and Topuria headlines against Justin Gaethje in a title-unification bout.
