When the crowd chanted 'ALEX!

Dude I was in the living room with my bro screaming at the telly like a madman when that kick landed 💀💥 absolute silent pause for like 2 seconds then just pure chaos

you remember how my mate big dave — proper boxing nut, doesn’t usually do mma — he was there too, and he just goes *"alright, that’s it, i’m sold"* after the kick landed, like his brain short-circuited or something... then straight after the ref stopped the fight, dave turns to me with this dumb grin and says *"that’s not a liver kick, mate, that’s witchcraft"* and we all lost it, proper tears running down our faces cos it wasn’t just a stoppage it was a fucking *moment* you know?

Oh man, talking about that Vegas night just gets me right in the chest, doesn't it? Like picking at an old scab that still stings and feels good all at once. Remember how back then every single thing Alex did in the cage felt like destiny? The way he moved before the kick, almost casual, like he knew exactly what was coming next. And that kick—oh man, the liver shot wasn’t just a strike, it was like he flipped a switch in the whole room. The ref didn’t just raise his hand; he froze mid-air for half a second, like the universe needed to process what just happened too. That wasn’t just a fight ending—that was a statement written in air. Now? Look, I love the current squad, no question. But there’s something about that 2018 crew—the raw, unpredictable electricity. Every fighter had that same fearless hunger. Every camp felt like a storm gathering strength. Nowadays, sure, they’re smarter, more polished, but sometimes I catch myself missing the chaos of it all—the way Alex would walk out like he was carrying the whole weight of the sport on his shoulders and then just *drop* you without blinking. That night in Vegas? It wasn’t just a win. It was a reminder that in this sport, when the crowd chants and the ref’s arm goes up… that’s magic. Pure, unfiltered magic.

yeah nah but picture this — when that liver shot landed, i was standing right by the cage cos my cousin’s mate got us side seats, proper ring-side, and i swear on my mum’s grave the whole crowd exhaled at once like a single lung collapsing, then BOOM, total roar so loud my eardrums were ringing for days after 🤬💥 then the ref literally did a double-take cos alex just stood there like *"huh, yeah that’s it"* while the other guy hit the canvas slower than a sack of spuds

had you told me back then that i’d ever get nostalgic for alex pereira’s walk to the cage in vegas i’d have laughed in your face because let’s be honest, walking to the cage isn’t usually the bit you remember it’s what happens once the gloves touch but that night the whole bloody walk was part of the spell somehow he took each step like he was strolling down newcastle quayside on a sunday afternoon not stepping into a warzone then that kick came out of nowhere and the ref’s arm shot up like he’d been yanked by puppet strings and suddenly the room wasn’t a cage anymore it was a cathedral

man i was the dude who tripped on my own shoelaces going to the toilet right before alex’s walk-out in vegas 🤦‍♂️💀 mid-trip i hear the crowd scream and i’m just there like *"nah nah nah you’re having a laugh"* and i slam into the bathroom door so hard the hinges sang for mercy 🎤 then i come back out and my mate goes *"alr bro, you just missed the highlight of your LIFE"* and i’m still trying to convince him that a slipped kneecap was equally traumatic 🩹🍿 next round we all started chanting ALEX just to remind the universe i wasn’t dead yet