Alex Pereira sets the MMA community ablaze with rib-tickling skit ahead of UFC 307: "The Merab influence is crazy"

Alex Pereira recently sent fight fans into a frenzy after starring in a hilarious skit alongside coach Plinio Cruz ahead of his fight against Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 this weekend. The Brazilian shared his version of a viral social media video of two women riding the garbage truck while working as waste collectors.

In a video uploaded to Instagram, 'Poatan' squatted in a black garbage bag near the waste bin and hilariously pretended to be junk that needed to be picked up. Shortly after, Cruz enters the scene to question Pereira's actions and is quickly made aware of the two blonde women making the rounds.

After a comedic attempt to join Pereira in his garbage bag, Cruz is handed his own sack, and the two can be seen grinning ear to ear while waiting to be picked up by the female waste collectors.

Watch the full video below:

After @ChampRDS shared the skit on X, fans flocked to the post's comments section to express their thoughts on Pereira's comedy sketch. While many compared Pereira to Merab Dvalishvili, others questioned his seriousness ahead of his title fight against Rountree Jr. this weekend.

One fan lauded Dvalishvili for starting the trend of uploading skits before octagon outings and wrote:

"Merab started a good trend."

Another fan wrote:

"The Merab influence is crazy."

One user pointed out that Pereira could be trolled for his skit if he lost to Rountree Jr. and wrote:

"If he loses, that pic of him in the bag will go places."

Check out some more reactions below:

Screenshots from @ChampRDS on X

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Israel Adesanya predicts Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307

Israel Adesanya recently shared his thoughts on the Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. title fight and predicted his longtime combat sports nemesis to beat his opponent. Adesanya also broke down Pereira's fighting style and pointed out that he was the only one who managed to beat the Brazilian in the UFC.

During an appearance on the Adam Carolla Show, 'The Last Stylebender' was asked to predict the UFC 307 main event outcome. Picking Pereira to successfully defend the 205-pound strap again, he said:

"I'll go Pereira because momentum right now. Also, I just know Rountree doesn't grapple. He likes to kickbox. He's never gone for a takedown and I'm like, if you're going to do that with Pereira, there's one person who - I mean, I'm the only one who's ever even rocked him or stood with him in the UFC. Everyone else he's washed."

Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below (50:00):