Curtis Scott says he now understands, intimately, the power of UFC light heavyweight king Alex Pereira after being gifted a unique training experience with the Brazilian as part of his own fight camp for a hyped showdown with Barry Hall.
Fox Sports Australia can reveal Scott not only met up with Pereira in Sydney this week, but completed a workout with the Brazilian superstar – “who hits like a truck” – as the latter completes a whirlwind promotional tour Down Under.
The opportunity came as the exiled NRL star has also started travelling to Melbourne for regular sparring with 2016 Olympian Jason Whateley – who has also held the national cruiserweight title – in preparation for his showdown against AFL great Barry Hall in Wollongong on July 10.
Undefeated in two fights since turning pro, Scott is set to throw hands with Hall on the upcoming Pay-Per-View card topped by fights involving Aussie boxing favourites Sam Goodman and Liam Wilson.
While Goodman is risking his $1 million payday against Japanese megastar Naoya Inoue, Wilson is also making his own move to lightweight and what he hopes will be an eventual all-Australian showdown with George Kambosos.
The card will also see the return of Scott, whose team is convinced can win an Australian cruiserweight title by the end of this year.
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As part of his preparations, the 2017 Melbourne premiership centre was given a surprise offer to train this week with Pereira, who is in Australia for a series of appearances, speaking events and training sessions.
“We just worked through some combos and then I held the pads from him,” Scott explained of the unique experience organised through his promoters, No Limit.
“And seeing how big he is up close, I’m surprised he ever got down to fight as a UFC middleweight.
“You realise immediately too that he holds extremely high standards in training.
“He could’ve just turned up, fluffed around, held some pads and then left.
“But he went through a full session and trained really hard.”
And as for how it felt holding pads for the man who, last start, reclaimed his UFC crown with a devastating first round KO of American Jamahal Hill?
“The guy hits like a truck,” he laughed.
“Generates incredible power.
“Holding the pads you quickly get to realise why just how he can stop a fight at any moment … and put people to sleep with one punch”.
Apart from the unique one off session with Pereira — who has also worked out with UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa during his time in Sydney – Scott revealed to Fox Sports Australia he is also sparring with Whateley in preparation for the Hall bout.
“To get the best rounds, you need the best fighters,” he said in reference to Whateley (11-1), who won the Aussie cruiserweight title in 2019.
“And that’s important.
“Because Barry is a strong, tall guy, long levers.
“And from what I’ve seen of his fights, he tries to bring you onto his punches with hooks and right hand.
“So I have to be smart, pick my shots because he can definitely box.
“In his fight against Paul Gallen, he wasn’t brawling, he was boxing well.
“He showed he can fight, and that’s the Barry Hall I’m preparing for.
“And that’s why I called him out.”
Speaking with Main Event this week, Pereira suggested he expected Pereira expects Jiri Prochazka to be his next title challenger, and hinted it could even happen at UFC 305 in Perth this August.
Elsewhere, the champ has also talked about moving up to heavyweight, which has seen social media go into meltdown at the thought of a potential bout against either the division’s king Jon Jones or interim champ Tom Aspinall.
“And Pereira could probably handle anything you throw at him,” Scott enthused of his new training buddy.
“But still, it’s a big jump.
“And there are some real monsters in the UFC heavyweight division.
“A guy like Tom Aspinall, I don’t people realise just what type of giant he is.
“But that would be a great fight and I’d definitely be tuning in to watch that.”
More immediately though, Scott will throw down on a Wollongong Entertainment Centre card set to be topped to be a fight between Australia’s undefeated Goodman and world ranked Thai fighter Chainoi Worawut – aka Rock Man.
While he may be the mandatory challenger for Inoue, Goodman has agreed to roll the dice and take another bout before what he expects to be a December showdown against the division’s undisputed king.
Rather than stay idle until that date, Team Goodman are seeking the type of tough preparation that is 26-year-old Worawut – the son of a Muay Thai champion who himself fought over 200 times in the discipline before switching sports.
While Goodman (18-0) is ranked No. 1 contender with both the IBF and WBO, he sits at seventh in the WBC rankings – with Worawut (25-0-1) only a spot behind him.
Another Aussie looking to win big is Queensland favourite Wilson, who faces popular Sydneysider Youssef ‘Ewee’ Dib (21-1).
After twice fighting for world titles at super featherweight, Wilson (13-3) is now moving up for what he hopes will eventually be an all-Australian showdown against former undisputed lightweight champ Kambosos.