Alex Pereira makes his opinion on Jake Paul's persistent callouts clear: "I cannot just leave"

Alex Pereira recently shared his thoughts on Jake Paul's unrelenting callouts for a boxing showdown. After his knockout win over BKFC star Mike Perry in July, 'The Problem Child' set his sights on Pereira. The UFC light heavyweight champion also seemed intrigued, as indicated by a FaceTime exchange between them.

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, 'Poatan' responded to Paul's callouts through a translator and firmly dismissed the possibility of a matchup. He said that the YouTuber-turned-boxer wouldn't be pursuing him if a UFC contract didn't bind him:

"Of course, it's of interest to me, but I'm on a contract to the UFC, and I cannot just leave. I think that's why he calls [me out], and he says all that. I think if the UFC was a league that allows everybody to fight anywhere, I don't think he'd be saying that."

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (26:00):

Pereira notched his third title defense of the year in the 205-pound division, securing a fourth-round TKO victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 earlier this month. Following the Brazilian's win, 'The Problem Child' remarked that Pereira has evident flaws in his fighting style and expressed confidence that he could easily defeat him if they were to face off in the boxing ring.

Paul is preparing to face boxing legend Mike Tyson in an eight-round heavyweight bout scheduled for Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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What did Dana White say about Jake Paul's challenge to Alex Pereira?

During an interview with TNT Sports in August, Dana White responded to Jake Paul's callout for a boxing match against Alex Pereira. The UFC CEO expressed that he does not take Paul seriously and admitted to tuning out 'The Problem Child' following his defeat to Tommy Fury in February 2023:

"I stopped paying attention to Jake Paul when he lost to Fury. You know what I mean? It's like when he fought somebody that was his age and actually boxed, he lost. And I'm not sh*tting on the kid, and I don't even think about him anymore. It doesn't even cross my mind; I have no beef with him."

Check out Dana White's comments below (6:14):

White has repeatedly said that he has no interest in co-promoting crossover events, and his relationship with Paul is notably strained, with a significant lack of goodwill between them.