antonio smith knows he is not currently in title contention, but hopes to have the opportunity to face Alexandre Pereira someday.
The pair barbs traded in the past, but Smith insists it’s nothing personal. UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) currently awaits his next challenger after knocking out Jamahal Hill in his first title defense at UFC 300.
Meanwhile, Smith (37-19 MMA, 12-9 UFC) faces rising contender Vitor Petrino (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at UFC 301 on May 4 in Rio. If Smith returns to upper echelon of the division, he thinks a clash against Pereira would be intriguing for both of them.
“Yeah, he’s fun, and he and I talk,” Smith said. Send radio. “I don’t think there’s any real problem there, but there’s definitely something between him and I where, if given the opportunity, we would both take it.
“If I can put myself in a position where, holy shit, here we are in a difficult situation and things are going well, the timing works out, I think we would both take advantage of that opportunity. And I don’t know why this happens. … I don’t know – the real recognizes the real, a little.”
Smith also sees the stylistic combination with Pereira working.
“I’m one of the few guys who would probably step into the fire with him, and he knows that,” Smith said. “Will (Magomed) Ankalaev stay in the pocket and negotiate with Alex Pereira and actually play this game? Probably not. Do you know what I mean? Which is probably the worst matchup in the category, not just for him, but for everyone else. This guy is kind of a bogeyman floating around out there.
“But yes, I like it… I like having a little stability in the category. I’m not going to lie: Jamahal is a friend of mine, so it would have been nice to see him win the title and get it back, at least to legitimize himself and put himself in a good position. . But I like (a Pereira fight). I like and like Pereira’s game. I really like his game. It’s fun.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 301.
