LAS VEGAS – Cesar Almeida hopes to follow in the footsteps of former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira.
Former Glory kickboxer Almeida (4-0) earned a UFC contract Tuesday when he defeated Lucas Fernando (9-2) at Dana White’s Contender Series 57.
Almeida fought Pereira three times in kickboxing – winning once, and losing twice. Pereira was able to make waves in MMA in a short period of time, becoming UFC champion after just three octagon wins – and Almeida takes inspiration from his fast rise.
“I fought him three times. They were very tough fights, and to see him come this far and become the person he is, is obviously something that says I can do it too, and I’m here now,” Almeida told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter. “You keep working at it and obviously it serves as an inspiration. You look up to him and say, ‘I can do it, too.'”
Almeida thinks continuing his history with Pereira in MMA would make for a great storyline in the UFC, but knows he still has work to do.
“First time I fought him was 2013, 2014 so about next year, it’s going to be 10 years,” Almeida said. “Wouldn’t it be great for that to happen? It would be very interesting. It’s not the time for me to think about that now. I just got here. I need to get my wins. But he did mention that he would come back to middleweight to fight (Israel) Adesanya so why not? Wouldn’t it be great to have the (rematch) in Brazil?”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 57.
