UFC star Alex Pereira responds to Jake Paul call-out ahead of Mike Tyson fight

UFC light-heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira has dismissed the prospect of clashing with YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul in the squared circle anytime soon. 'Poatan' stepped into the octagon for his third bout of the year earlier this month, squaring off against Khalil Rountree Jr. In a dominant display at Salt Lake City's Delta Centre, the Brazilian champ retained his light-heavyweight crown, overcoming the American challenger. Despite Rountree's resilience, the title fight saw him overwhelmed in the later rounds, culminating in a knockout defeat in the fourth round at the hands of the 37-year-old • Anthony Joshua's heartwarming offer comes to light as funeral gesture shared • Jake Paul given Mike Tyson warning over respect and is told to run away from megafight Following the bout, during a conversation with Adin Ross, Jake Paul was quizzed on how he'd fare in a boxing match with Pereira. "One thousand percent I would beat him," he confidently claimed. "That's the thing is, Rountree actually kind of exposed that he doesn't have a high volume output. He doesn't like body shots. In MMA, Pereira would rip my head off. But boxing is a completely different sport, and the pace of it, and the style of it... "He has holes. I mean, Rountree rocked him, hurt him a couple of times to the body, but didn't follow up on it. So if anything, this fight showed me, yes, Alex Pereira is great. "But I know I would beat him in a boxing match, and I still would love to make that happen. Pressure is on him. If he can find his way out of the UFC contract like Nate Diaz did, then eventually him and I can talk." Over recent months, 'The Problem Child' Paul has continually challenged the UFC powerhouse. Fresh off his triumph over Mike Perry, Paul seized the chance in his post-fight interview to target Pereira. He said: "And Alex Pereira, Alex Pereira, you said you want to box. I'm the king of this. I'm the king of this. Come over. We can make it happen. I want you, Alex Pereira. Indeed. Indeed. I just beat a BKFC champion. I beat multiple UFC champions. And he said he wants to box. So Alex Pereira, after Mike Tyson, let's make it happen." Yet, despite appearing keen on a bout with the combative American, Pereira has dismissed the prospect due to his UFC obligations. Speaking with seasoned MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, Pereira was candid about his position, saying: "I'm going to be honest, of course, boxing interests me. But he knows that I'm under contract to the UFC and I can't just leave. I think that's why he calls [me out] and says all of that. "I think if the UFC was a league that allowed everyone to fight everywhere, he wouldn't be saying that." 'Poatan' is taking a well-deserved break from the sport but has his sights set on a dynamic return early next year, keen to square off against whoever emerges victorious in the much-anticipated bout between Magomed Ankalaev and Aleksandar Rakic later this month. In a candid chat, Pereira didn't hold back when discussing rival Jamahal Hill's dissatisfaction with his recent fight against Rountree. "I'm going to be really honest with you Ariel. If that performance with Khalil was s***, where does my performance against Jamahal rank then? "So, you know what I mean? If that fight was c***, how can he say that? " He then added dismissively, "But I'm going to be honest, I'm not going to further talk about Jamahal. I have a lot of respect for your show. But I'm on a different level [than him]."