Alex Pereira has brushed off Josh Hokit's campaign for a future showdown between them, making clear he has no interest in the matchup as both men head into heavyweight bouts at UFC White House this Sunday.
Pereira is moving up a division to face Ciryl Gane for an interim title at the event, while Hokit is slated to meet Derrick Lewis on the same card. Hokit has been publicly angling for a clash with Pereira, saying, "It’s inevitable," and, "We’re going to fight one day. I know he knows it."
Hokit has also escalated the rhetoric, declaring, "And Alex Pereira and his BBL can go to Hell. I’m the lion, he’s the weak gazelle. I’m going to beat him until he swells. I’m going to put his head in the microwave that’s going to give off a pizza smell."
Pereira responded by distancing himself from the callout and Hokit's behavior. "You know, this is nothing personal, I just wanted to make sure that I talked about this," Pereira said, adding, "I don’t even like to talk about this guy. It’s more for everybody because people just keep asking the question and again, I’m just addressing the situation since you asked. I try not even to think about it or entertain anything about him because there’s no reason for it."
He also questioned Hokit's future in the UFC: "We can’t remove him out of the card on Sunday, he’s already in there, so he’s going to fight, but I’ve just heard a thing or two—I don’t even know if he’s going to be a part of this organization going forward."
Pereira further criticized Hokit's conduct, saying, "There’s a huge audience that watches this, there are children, there are families, there are people, and a lot of the things he does and says are just very disrespectful, so I think I don’t know."
