Alex Pereira Spars Intensely at Florida Gym

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira engaged in a pair of intense sparring sessions at Fusion XCel gym in Ocoee, Florida, on Saturday, showcasing his striking power against training partners of varying sizes and experience levels. Footage of the workouts quickly spread across social media, highlighting Pereira's preparation amid rumors of an upcoming title defense and a potential move to the heavyweight division.

The day's training began with a competitive exchange between Pereira and Robelis Despaigne, a 6-foot-7 Cuban heavyweight and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo. Despaigne, who transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2022 after a 15-year stint on Cuba's national taekwondo team, compiled a 5-0 professional record early in his career, including several first-round knockouts. He joined the UFC in December 2023, securing a quick victory over Josh Parisian in March 2024 before suffering decision losses to Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Austen Lane, leading to his release from the promotion in October 2024. Now competing in Karate Combat, Despaigne is set to challenge for the heavyweight title on December 5.

In the shared video, Pereira and Despaigne methodically tested...