UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira showed evidence to combat Joaquin Buckley’s accusation that he ducked him.<\/p>\n
Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) claimed that Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) rejected a fight offer in 2022 when both men were middleweights.<\/p>\n
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“He (Pereira) won’t be able to take the fight because they said they wouldn’t be ready in time,” Buckley said on his YouTube channel<\/a>. “But regardless of all of that, that fight and seeing where Alex Pereira is now, it don’t shun me like, ‘Oh damn, I’m glad I didn’t fight that dude.’ No, no, no. It shows me the ability that I have to take on any fight, to take on any challenge and not back down from nobody, and I’ve been showing that for the past five years.<\/p>\n “I’m a dog just like these guys, but I’m motivated because I see a person like Alex Pereira out there doing what he’s doing, and I was the person willing to take that fight. To be honest with you, I was going to plan on knocking that man out, too. Now, I was going to use my wrestling. I was going to put on my singlet to take his ass down and tire him out, but I was going to plan on finishing him.”<\/p>\n Pereira wasn’t going to let Buckley’s accusation slide. He posted a direct message exchange on Instagram (h\/t Championship Rounds<\/a>) to prove otherwise.<\/p>\n “Of the 15 that ran, you were the first!! Now go back to the end of the line.”<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n