Pereira's Coach Plinio Cruz Stops Gary Olive in Second Round of Misfits Boxing Debut

The coach behind Alex Pereira needed just two rounds to prove he is more than "the guy behind the guy." Plinio Cruz, the 40-year-old former MMA fighter and longtime coach of UFC star Alex Pereira, made his professional boxing debut at Misfits Boxing 30 at London's Copper Box Arena on Saturday, stopping Gary Olive by second-round TKO on DAZN pay-per-view. The finish came at 58 seconds of Round 2, when Cruz unloaded a series of left hooks that left Olive unable to continue. The pairing was a late shuffle: Cruz had originally been scheduled to face Misfits heavyweight champion Chase DeMoor, but DeMoor withdrew with an injury and his own coach, Olive, stepped in on short notice. Cruz's preparation was remarkable — he said he lost 100 pounds to make the fight, tipping the scales under 270. Pereira himself was in his coach's corner for the bout, which was Cruz's first-ever stoppage win in professional combat sports after an 8-9 MMA career in which only one of his wins came inside the distance. After the win, Cruz aimed straight back at DeMoor, mocking the champion for withdrawing and for not backing up his own coach. No bout has been booked yet — but the storyline is set.