antonio smith is ready to face the UFC light heavyweight champion Alexandre Pereira in his jiu-jitsu challenge.
Smith responded to Pereira’s request on Saturday recent bet of $50,000 in a 5-minute grappling match starting on the back. Smith would have 5 minutes to submit Pereira and win the bet, while Pereira would have to survive or escape the mount on his back in the same time.
That looks good to Smith, and he’s all in.
“What did he say? Alex Pereira said he would invest $50,000, and I’ll start behind his back,” Smith said during his UFC 301 post-fight session with reporters in Rio de Janeiro. “So I start on his back, I hook and I have 5 minutes to finish it, and he wants to bet $50,000 on it.
“I’ll keep his $50,000. I’ll take his money. …If I start on his back, I’ll choke him.
As for Saturday’s fight in UFC 301Smith (38-19 MMA, 13-9 UFC) is proud of his performance against Vitor Petrino (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).
Not only did he manage to bounce back from a TKO loss to Khalil Rountree, but he also won via submission – something that was on his MMA bucket list.
“I’m really proud of my black belt (in jiu-jitsu),” said Smith reflecting on his victory. “Take away my bonuses, my title shot. Everything I’ve done in my career is below my jiu-jitsu black belt. Jiu-jitsu is very rich in history here in Brazil, and it is very important to get a submission victory in Brazil. I can cross it off my bucket list and I can stop worrying about it.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 301.
