LAS VEGAS – Alice Pereira hopes the statement she made Saturday at UFC Fight Night 290 was bigger than self-advocation.
On the prelims at Meta APEX, Pereira (7-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) defeated Darya Zheleznyakova (10-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC) by TKO stoppage due to a cut.
"I'm feeling great about the two wins," Pereira said in Portuguese through an interpreter after the fight. "Again, both of them are stoppages, and the work has been done. I'm actually very happy with the fact that we put in the work and we got it done. The job was done. I also thank everyone who was in the audience and everybody who was here to watch us, so thank you."
The UFC women's bantamweight division has been heavily criticized by fans and media members alike in recent months due to its shallow
body count and lackluster momentum. Pereira is happy to swim against the perceived tide, and hopes her win proved to the world that her weight class is still worth watching.
"I think that more than the message to the rest of the division, this is a message for the media and some of the comments from reporters, for them, and for all the stuff they have been saying – for them to understand this division has people like me and has fighters that want to finish fights, that will finish fights in the first and second rounds, that are going there to finish fights and get the job done, so for them to do their job, to understand this and study this and see there is a lot of upcoming talent there," Pereira said.
"Since we're here, I want to say that next week we've got Melissa (Mullins) against Chelsea Chandler and the winner of that fight, I know they're looking at me. I'm looking at them as well also. The winner of that fight, that's what I want."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alice Pereira hopes UFC Vegas 122 win proved entire division here to stay
