Alex Pereira signs new 8-fight contract before UFC 300, says fight was bumped up from UFC 301

Alex Pereira said his expectation “for a while” was that he would be defending his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill at UFC 301 in May.

Then UFC officials called his team, and the bout between Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Hill (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) was moved up by three weeks and officially booked for the main event of the historic UFC 300 card on April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN).

“The original verbal agreement, not signed, was to fight at UFC 301 in Brazil – May event, Jamahal Hill,” Pereira told “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani through an interpreter. “But a few days ago they called, and my manager called us asking to headline UFC 300. I liked the idea. I think it’s perfect timing for me to prepare for it, so I just jumped in.”