“Whenever He Has Courage” – Trash Talking Crosses All Limits as Alex Pereira, Anthony Smith Finally Agree on a Shocking Matchup

In a highly competitive sport like MMA rivalries are second nature to the game. It is true that there is a lot of mutual respect and admiration that fighters have for each other. However, this internal competition propels fighters to develop constantly and strive to be the best in the business. In a way, it could motivate them to overcome challenges and reach heights previously thought unattainable. One such rivalry has been brewing between Alex Pereira and the veteran Anthony Smith.

The rivalry has been sparked through the veteran’s apparent comments about Pereira’s decision to shift to a higher weight class amidst other comments. Anthony Smith has been a harsh critic, according to Pereira, relentlessly on his topic on social media. Pereira recently took to his YouTube channel to fire back at ‘Lionheart’ in a strongly worded message that held nothing back. However, in a recent turn of events, ‘Poatan’ issued a pointed challenge to ‘Lionheart’. Unfazed, Smith responded in a decisive fashion.

Anthony Smith sends his response to Pereira’s invitational

In the latest installment of this rivalry between Smith and Pereira, ‘Poatan’ left the ball in Smith’s court. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Brazilian challenged Smith to a grappling match. In a poster that read, “UFC Fight Pass Invitational“, Smith seemed to be called out by the Brazilian to a grappling match. Pereira also spiced things up by captioning the post in a very ferocious manner. He wrote, “Date: Whenever he has courage.”

The American Light-Heavyweight seemed to be unfazed by the challenge. He promptly responded, “Send Location.” With the rivalry that seemed to be sparked by Smith’s comments about Pereira’s career decision, fans might be in for a masterclass. The former Middleweight champion ‘Poatan’ is one of the top fighters in his division. It will be interesting to see him fare against ‘Lionheart’, who is a former UFC Title Challenger himself.

The beef until now: Pereira’s tipping point

Prior to this confrontation, Pereira lashed out against Anthony Smith in a rant on his YouTube channel. He said, “The only ones who speak bad about me are Anthony Smith types, washed-up vets who never amounted to anything, who are still fighting. They’re in a really tight spot. Or the guy who is still a nobody.” In the video, a frustrated Pereira called the ‘Lionheart’ bitter and also went on to address doubts regarding his technical skills.

Read More: “I Don’t Think He’s Any…”- Alex Pereira’s Lost Major Advantage at LHW Division Despite Win Against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 as Claimed by Legends

Anthony Smith previously has admitted to ‘Poatan’ being impressive at 185. He, however, expressed his apprehension at the move by referring to the loss of Pereira’s size advantage in a higher weight class. He said, “If we’re talking just pure power, I don’t think he’s any more powerful than Blachowicz“. However, what was presented by Smith as a mere observation has now set the snowball in motion. In a match between the two, who do you think would come out on top? Let us know in the comments below.

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