Pereira tells Belgaroui he’s no hyena ahead of GLORY 49 title fight 

  Alex Pereira and Yousri Belgaroui are set for a tense rematch in the headline fight of the GLORY 49 SUPERFIGHT SERIES card in Rotterdam this Saturday night.   They fought in the final of the GLORY 40 Middleweight Contender Tournament earlier this year. Belgaroui won but, due to a scheduling issue, it was Pereira who went forward to take a title shot at GLORY 46 GUANGZHOU.   There he beat Simon Marcus to take the middleweight world title from him. Now he’s set to make his first defense, against Belgaroui, and the Amsterdam man believes he will be taking the belt from the Brazilian by force.   “I won the tournament. I’ve been climbing the rankings, climbing the mountain, like a hungry wolf, stalking it’s prey,” says Belgaroui. “And then suddenly Pereira comes in from nowhere and snatches the title, comes in like a hyena, stealing what’s mine. And now I’m going to take it back.”   Pereira snorts derisively at Belgaroui’s analogy. “If I am anything I am a jaguar. I wait for my chance and I pounce. And he’s going to feel that. I think they wanted me on the China card  instead of him because I entertain the crowd and he just runs around.   “Yousri is a good kickboxer but he has a big mouth. He’s never been to the championship rounds and I’m going to take him to deep waters and drown him. We will see how much he can talk when he’s running out of air in that fifth round.”   Belgaroui shakes his head at Pereira’s threat.   “I want to thank Pereira for bringing my belt all the way to Holland for me tonight. He could have sent it by post but he came to deliver it in person, so I want to thank him for that,” he jibed. “I’m actually happy he got to touch the belt for a little while, that’s nice for him, but it’s over now.”   Stone-faced Pereira doesn’t find the joke funny.   “The belt is here because it has to be, it goes everywhere with me, and it will be going back to Brazil with me,” he says.   “[In my last fight with Yousri in the GLORY 40 tournament final] I was a little hurt going into the fight, from my previous fight, but it was a close fight. No excuses but I am 100% for this one.   “I’m looking forward to a hard fight, it’s going to be a war, but I am well prepared. I did a good camp, I’m ready, I’m here to work, I can’t wait to see what happens.”