"This is next level hilarious" - Fans react to Alex Pereira being "petty" during Anthony Smith's introduction at UFC 301

UFC 301 delivered a night of exciting fights, but one moment outside the octagon has put light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in the spotlight.

Anthony Smith, the underdog in his fight against Vitor Petrino, defied expectations with a first-round submission victory at UFC 301. However, Pereira, witnessing the fight from close quarters, took to Instagram to share a video of himself seemingly asleep during Smith's pre-fight introduction.

This came after Smith's public criticism of Pereira's fighting style. Pereira, in turn, challenged 'Lionheart' to a grappling match for $50,000.

Fans reacted to Pereira's post, with many finding it humorous. One user commented:

"This is next level hilarious and trolling ! 😭😭😭 the disrespect to Smith is crazy and I'm here for it. Bro only talks trash about/to Alex."

Another called it a petty act and wrote:

"My GOAT is so petty 😭"

Another wrote:

"the ultimate troll lmao😂"

However, some fans saw it differently. A user mocked Pereira, stating:

"damn he sleeping already imagine what Anthony would do to him if they fight then"

Another commented:

"He's practicing what he's gonna do when he fights Smith"

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Alex Pereira

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Alex Pereira issues a unique challenge to fellow contender Anthony Smith

Alex Pereira, known for his devastating striking in kickboxing and MMA, has faced criticism from the MMA world including Anthony Smith, for his perceived lack of grappling skills. Capitalizing on this narrative, Pereira has proposed a grappling-only contest against Smith, a seasoned BJJ black belt.

During a recent appearance on Connect Cast, Pereira outlined the specifics of the challenge:

"I make a bet with Anthony Smith. I let him take my back with hooks in and give him five minutes to finish me. We can bet. He said I'd win a $50k bonus, he said it was a sure thing. So, if he sees me saying this here, I want him to accept."

'Poatan' added:

"He takes my back, sees that my arm was trapped, no, he has to finish. He pays the fifty bills [if he fails]. Then I allow him to take my back with the hooks, right, both of us sitting there, right? So, here we go, I'll have five minutes to get up and stand. If I get up in one minute or four minutes, don't matter, I stood up, he pays $50k. If he finishes me, okay."

Check out Alex Pereira talk about his challenge below: