Conor McGregor scolds Alex Pereira in one-word post after boxing sparring footage goes viral

Conor McGregor berated UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira after sparring with a South Korean boxer.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor was unimpressed by Alex Pereira's recent sparring session with a South Korean boxer.

Pereira is enjoying some well-deserved time off after three UFC finishes in 2024. He most recently defended the UFC light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in a come-from-behind performance at UFC 307.

Between combat camps, Pereira is usually on the road with his team, performing all over the world. Most recently, the UFC light heavyweight champion stopped in South Korea and visited a local boxing gym.

Pereira and a Korean professional boxer were able to spar while the UFC superstar visited the gym. The two sides went back and forth in a tense sparring clash.

Many fans praised both Pereira and the unnamed boxer for putting on a show in the gym. But McGregor was unimpressed by Pereira, who criticized the Brazilian on social media.

Photos by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Conor McGregor questions Alex Pereira for sparring with the South Korean boxer

“Pointless,” McGregor tweeted in response to Pereira's sparring.

At the time of writing, Pereira has not yet responded to McGregor's tweet. But Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen got a kick out of seeing McGregor's taunt.

“Just like your comeback,” Eblen replied to McGregor.

This isn't the first time McGregor and Eblen have traded barbs on social media. McGregor sharply criticized Eblen's victory over Fabian Edwards in their Bellator title rematch at PFL's Battle of the Giants event.

McGregor has not appeared in the UFC Octagon since UFC 264, when he shattered his leg against Dustin Poirier. He was scheduled to face Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 main event in June before withdrawing due to a toe injury.

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Bellator champion defends Alex Pereira from Conor McGregor's taunt

In McGregor's absence, Pereira has emerged as one of the UFC's biggest pay-per-view stars. He became the fastest fighter to hold multiple UFC titles, defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 in just a handful of fights in his professional MMA career.

McGregor is adamant about a return to the Octagon, as UFC CEO Dana White alluded to during his UFC 309 post-fight press conference. A late 2025 timetable is the likely scenario for McGregor's long-awaited comeback.

Pereira is expected to face rising light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev for his next title defense, but a return date remains uncertain at the time of writing. Ankalaev secured No. 1 contender status by defeating Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308, extending his 13-fight undefeated streak.

McGregor could potentially face Chandler in his comeback fight after the two sides coached opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter. Chandler called out McGregor after he fell to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

McGregor believes Pereira is doing more harm than good during his overseas sparring sessions. As he continues to plan his UFC comeback, McGregor remains a prominent voice on MMA social media.

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