Glover Teixeira Gushes Over Alex Pereira Prior To His UFC Debut

Glover Teixeira is very high on his training partner Alex Pereira, and for good reason.

Alex Pereira is set to make his long-awaited UFC debut in the UFC 268 card this weekend. Pereira is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion. He has had a successful career in kickboxing and is now ready to take his talents to the UFC.

Many are excited to see what Pereira can do now that he has transitioned over to MMA but his training partner and newly crowned light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira knows exactly what to expect.

“Alex is so focused, so determined to win his fights and any fight. I’ve been training with him for a little bit more than a year now,” Teixeira said to RT Sports. “About a year and a half (ago) he came down to help me out for Thiago Santos. That’s where I met him.

“And he’s a hard worker, man. The guy is very disciplined, very hard worker, very humble to learn, and to open his eyes and to open his eyes and learn from everybody. And I believe that he’s gonna be champion. I believe that if he put his mind to it like he is doing right now—and he’s very smart. He gets thing very quick. And for sure, we’ll see him hopefully fighting Adesanya. So we don’t know who’s gonna be at the top by the time he get there, two years or a year from now, who knows, but definitely, he’s gonna be champion. I believe 100%”

Pereira has had four MMA bouts so far since making the switch from kickboxing. His first fight ended in a submission loss, common among those who have a background in striking. However, he bounced back and won the next three all by TKO or KO. One name that stands out on Pereira’s resume is his win over Israel Adesanya in kickboxing. Teixeira knows that his power is something that will set him apart from the rest of the division.

“Yes, it’s crazy,” Teixeira said of his power. “I’ve trained with so many people. I’ve never trained with a guy with that much power that hits that hard. And he’s a middleweight, and I train with a lot of heavyweights. He hits so hard.”

Pereira will be taking on Andreas Michailidis on the UFC 268 card on Nov. 6, live from New York.

Are you excited for the UFC debut of Alex Pereira at UFC 268?