In a recent podcast clip, UFC champ Sean O’Malley shared his thoughts on the unusual pre-fight antics between Jiří Procházka and Alex Pereira. O’Malley believes that Procházka may have gotten a little too caught up in the notion of Pereira using “black magic” or “witchery” to prepare for their matchup.
“Jiří kept saying that Alex [Pereira] was using black magic, or using magic, and Jiří just kind of seems like an odd duck,” O’Malley explained. “I don’t know if I believe in that? I think he’s just, I think Yuri believed too much into it. It kind of seemed like it freaked him out a little bit or something. It seemed a little odd.”
O’Malley went on to say that he believes Pereira is simply doing his own unique pre-fight rituals, which he described as “his thing” and “how he gets ready for fights.” The bantamweight contender does not see Pereira’s unconventional methods as cheating, stating, “Alex [Pereira] is just doing his thing. He just, that’s how he gets ready for fights, his rituals, whatever you want to call him. I mean, it’s not cheating.”
While Procházka may have been unsettled by the talk of “black magic,” O’Malley seems to take a more pragmatic view of Pereira’s unorthodox preparation techniques. “Alex [Pereira] is just doing his thing,” O’Malley said, suggesting that the middleweight champion is simply embracing his own unique approach to the sport.
