Alex Pereira has equipped a much-needed silver lining for MMA fans who were left devastated by the news of the UFC 303 main event cancellation! CEO Dana White took to social media to announce that Conor McGregor is out of his fight against Michael Chandler due to an injury. As such, Pereira stepped up to save the card for the fans by agreeing to take on Jiri Prochazka as the main event for the night instead.

In a recent video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Poatan’ revealed what led to him replacing Conor McGregor and also provided fans with an update on an injury that had caused concerns about his availability for the event. Pereira also shared a message for McGregor as he further went on to provide the fans a look at his training schedule for UFC 303 as he gears up to face the dangerous Jiri Prochazka once again on June 29!

Alex Pereira shares hope for Conor McGregor’s recovery as he breaks down UFC 303 preparation

Speculation about Conor McGregor being out of his fight against Michael Chandler started brewing with the abrupt cancelation of the June 3 press conference in Dublin. The fandom’s worst fears came true when the UFC boss recently announced on social media that ‘The Notorious’ is out of the highly-anticipated  UFC 303 main event due to an injury.

As such, having ‘saved’ the card, Alex Pereira stated on his YouTube channel, “Big news, I will fight in UFC 303 in Las Vegas. Conor got hurt, I hope it’s nothing serious, that he can recover and come back fast. But yesterday I had a call from my manager, Ed. They want me to do the main fight, on the card. I gave my proposition, my manager called me, came with the big news that everything was good.”

‘Poatan’ revealed that the UFC accepted his proposition and due to this, “everyone is happy.” The Brazilian champion also spoke about how the fans will be looking forward to him stepping into the Octagon as he confessed, “They know when I enter the Octagon, I put my blood there. I do everything to put on a show for everyone.”

Pereira further went on to reveal that he is currently in Australia and the past 8 days have been filled with, “a lot of work, a lot of training.” A primary concern for Pereira’s availability for this card was the injuries he suffered in his last fight at UFC 300 against Jamahal Hill, as such, he stated, “I had to do a pause, because of my toes, on my last fight, now I’m good, ready to fight.”

As Alex Pereira prepares to return to the cage on June 29, his resilience and dedication to putting on a show for the audience highlight why he has become a fan-favorite fighter. However, his opponent for UFC 303 has also shared an interesting update on social media regarding their upcoming fight!

 Jiri Prochazka is focused on making no “mistakes” this time against Pereira 

Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka faced off against each other for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 295 in 2023. The fight was an action-packed affair that ultimately ended in ‘Poatan’ winning the title as he finished Prochazka in the second round after ‘BJP’ shot in for a takedown but ended up on the receiving end of a series of elbows to the side of his head. As he fell back to the canvas, the referee stepped in to stop the fight, which led to many fans in the MMA sphere being upset over what they perceived as an ‘early’ stoppage.

Now, at UFC 303, Prochazka is eager to settle the score against Pereira as he shared an intense update on social media with the caption, “I am going to be #THEPERFECTSTORM No space for mistakes Just WIN/NOW/HERE\\”

Prochazka’s last fight was at UFC 300 where he stopped Aleksandar Rakic in the second round of their bout and secured a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus as well. As both fighters prepare for what promises to be an electrifying rematch, the excitement among the MMA community continues to build for UFC 303 despite the absence of Conor Mcgregor!

Do you think Alex Pereira will be able to hold on to his title despite the short-notice nature of this fight? Share your thoughts in the comments below!