Even when he’s not fighting, Alex Pereira does not seem to have any issue with staying in the spotlight. The Brazilian champion was in attendance at UFC 301 in Rio when some of the promotion’s best fighters put on a show for the people of Brazil. From brutal knockouts to submission finishes, the event had everything. One of those finishes came in the main card bout between Anthony Smith and Vitor Petrino, but the discussions in the aftermath of this fight seem to be centered around ‘Poatan’.

35-year-old Smith entered the fight as an underdog, mainly because of his recent form. However, ‘Lionheart’ surprised everyone with his performance, finishing the undefeated 26-year-old in the first round via a guillotine choke. Witnessing the fight from close quarters was current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. He shared a video on his Instagram account where he mocked Anthony Smith. The video featured Pereira sleeping while Smith was being introduced before his fight.

Smith accepts Pereira’s challenge as tensions rise between the two fighters

This move from the two-weight UFC champion comes from the recent back-and-forth between him and Smith. Apparently, the 36-year-old does not feel Smith gives him enough credit. ‘Poatan’ had taken offense to Smith’s refusal to acknowledge his MMA skills and even challenged the former title challenger to a grappling match.

Smith, before his UFC 301 fight, drew considerable attention from the fans because of his comments on Pereira’s fighting style. Pereira responded in his style and challenged ‘Lionheart’ for a grappling battle with $50K on the line, to go down at the UFC Performance Institute. He said that they could start the match with Smith on his back and with his hooks in. They would grapple for five minutes, and if Pereira can free himself and stand up, he wins. If he fails to do so or if Smith submits him, the latter would earn the $50K.

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In response, following his win at UFC 301, Smith accepted the challenge and responded to his earlier comments about calling Pereira’s black belt “fraudulent.” He clarified, “Maybe I meant, I don’t know, like, I don’t believe that Alex Pereira is probably a high-level black belt in the gi. I don’t think he’s, probably, like crazy competitive, like a in an IBJJF format, but I would never call anybody’s jiu-jitsu black belt fraudulent.”

It seems that ‘Poatan’ is serious about the challenge and his Instagram post is proof that he isn’t done with Smith. The fans also took notice of Pereira’s shenanigans at UFC 301 and had a lot to say online.

“Leave that child alone” Fans give out mixed reactions on Alex Pereira mocking Anthony Smith

The comments section was filled with some mixed reactions about the latest jibe. While some enjoyed it, others disregarded it. After Smith’s latest performance, some fans believe he would do the same to Pereira despite him being a knockout specialist. Coming out in support of the UFC 301 winner, a fan wrote, “He will sleep you bro.” Smith’s guillotine choke has also gathered considerable attention from the fans, and they believe he can pull it off against Pereira as well.

While addressing the media after the event, Smith responded to the challenge. ‘Lionheart’ said, “So I start off his back, hooks in, and I’ve got 5 minutes to finish him, and he wants to put $50,000 on it. I’ll take his $50,000. I’ll take his money. … If I start off his back, I’ll choke the sh*t out of him.”

A certain section of fans, however, didn’t want Pereira to waste his time and give any undue importance to the #10-ranked light heavyweight. Instead, they want him to focus on getting a third belt in the UFC. A fan echoed the same sentiment as they wrote, “Leave that child alone poatan.”

Alex Pereira’s skill set and his record have already made him a huge star in the UFC. Losing only one out of eight fights, he has already won two UFC belts, and the fans want him to achieve more rather than giving importance to Smith. “Keep winning champ,” read one comment.

Smith entered the bout against the undefeated Petrino having lost to Khalil Rountree, via stoppage. He also dropped three of his past four outings. As such some fans might feel that Pereira is on a different level as compared to Smith.

Meanwhile, a handful of MMA fans seemed disheartened by the fall-out between the two fighters and their constant back-and-forth online as they wrote, “This is just sad at this point.”

“Lionheart” has received criticism from the MMA community for his comments against Pereira’s fighting style inside the octagon. But he has stressed that he is talking from an analytical perspective and not trash-talking.

Alex Pereira’s latest video does not seem to have gone down as well as he would have hoped. However, it will be interesting to see whether the two will face each other in the Octagon or the PI. Will Anthony Smith’s impressive performance at UFC 301 earn him a fight against Alex Pereira next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.