Kayla Harrison, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, has recently shared her experiences training with UFC champion Alex Pereira. During her appearance on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, Harrison detailed her interactions with the current UFC light heavyweight champion and former UFC middleweight champion.
Harrison was impressed by Pereira’s quick learning abilities, stating, “He was showing me the videos of him training and he was kicking – dude, I wish he would release this one. Oh my god, he like, did the move I taught him and then did the move you do if the (first) move doesn’t work. I was like, ‘Dude, you look like a judo (athlete).’ It’s crazy how fast he picks stuff up. He looked like a legit judo (athlete).”
In addition to observing Pereira’s training, Harrison also had the opportunity to grapple with him. She described the experience, saying, “I also grappled with Alex. Dude, he’s a strong mother trucker. Obviously, he didn’t really grapple with me, but I just felt his natural – f*cking fixing tires must build like, a different kind of (strength).”
Pereira’s impressive performance in the UFC has caught the attention of other fighters, including Jake Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has called out Pereira, stating, “Alex Pereira, you said you want to box, I’m the king of this. Come over, we can make it happen. I want you Alex Pereira. I just beat a BKFC champion. I beat multiple UFC champions. He said he wants to box. Alex Pereira, after Mike Tyson let’s make it happen.”
Harrison shared her thoughts on a potential matchup between Pereira and Paul, saying, “Are you kidding me? That is a Jake Paul fight I would go to. One hook lands… dude, I grappled with Alex, he’s a strong mother trucker…. he’s trying to steal some aura.”
The comments from Kayla Harrison provide an interesting insight into the physical capabilities of Alex Pereira, who has become a rising star in the UFC. Fans and analysts will certainly be eager to see how the UFC champion would fare in a potential boxing match against the boxing-focused Jake Paul.
