

Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira will face Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the end of July. He reached the city two weeks out to train there and get acclimated to the higher altitude.
The Brazilian is there with his team, including coach and former light heavyweight UFC champion Glover Teixeira. Pereira posted a short video of training in the scenic mountains around Salt Lake City. And after the training, the former middleweight champion nearly downed his coach.
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Alex Pereira gives a peek at his unorthodox mountain training
Alex Pereira will make his heavyweight debut against Jan Blachowicz, with the winner likely getting a shot at the light heavyweight title vacated by champion Jamahal Hill because of a ruptured Achilles heel. With the stakes so high and Israel Adesanya at the back of his mind, ‘Poatan’ is sparing no effort to train hard.
In a video posted on his official YouTube Channel, Pereira can be seen trekking up the mountains, training surrounded by the picturesque mountains, forests, and streams of Utah. At the end of his training, Pereira takes a plunge into the icy waters of the nearby stream and is joined by Teixeira.

via Imago
NEW YORK CITY, NY – NOVEMBER 12: Alex Pereira looks on in his Middleweight title fight against Israel Adesanya during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City, New York, United States. Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages Louis Grasse / SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xLouisxGrassex/xSPPx spp-en-LoGr-lrg2211121115092_UFC281_MAIN
Teixeira jokingly tried to put Pereira in a rear naked choke hold, but he broke free and held his coach’s head underwater until the latter panicked and tapped frantically. Pereira let him go, but it was clear the intimacy their relationship has. Pereira and Teixeira are close, with the Brazilian having gifted Teixeira a Harley Davidson motorcycle recently.
This wholesome tussle between mentor and ward incited some interesting reactions from the fans.
Fans react to Pereira nearly drowning Glover Teixeira
Fans reacted to Poatan and Teixeira’s antics and had various things to say. One Twitter user saw it as harmless brotherly fun:
Bro held his head under water until he tapped, advanced big brother tactics
— McGregor’s left Cock (@MMAMafia1) July 17, 2023
Another user commented on Pereira’s wrestling:
Wtf hahahah 😂
My man can’t grapple but he knows how to kill
— Phill Russell (@PhillRussell89) July 17, 2023
Another agreed:
Can he stop a take down? Maybe not. But can he drown his opponent in a river? Absolutely!
— Jacob Castro (@JayKayOohh) July 17, 2023
One fan thought it was because Teixeira didn’t like the bike:
Glover: give me a car next time.
Alex: pic.twitter.com/4dJe2M6U9v
— N i N (@nishin666) July 17, 2023
Another wanted to see it happen to Izzy:
I hope he does this to izzy
— Nandan Avadhani (@NandanAvadhani5) July 17, 2023
One user thought it was because 0f Pereira’s genes:
Damn he really built for killing with them indigenous genes
— TheBrodieV2 (@V2Brodie) July 17, 2023
One user thought it was a sign of a strong friendship:
Alex and glovers friendship is so wholesome
— Chris (@ChrisRndmNumbrs) July 17, 2023
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Another was puzzled:
🤣🤣 WTF kinda training is this?
— Rusty (@Soy_Rusty) July 17, 2023
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Clearly, Pereira is hard at work and knows what is at stake on the 29th of July against Blachowicz. Moving up a weight class is not a trivial task as opponents generally hit harder and the higher mass can lead to conditioning and stamina issues, But, Pereira seems to be leaving nothing to chance. Who do you think will win in the Pereira vs. Blachowicz fight? Tell us in the comments below.
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