Will Alex Pereira last at UFC? Although given the champ’s dominant run, it might seem outlandish, but that’s the truth when it comes to any sports- every athlete has their prime and downtime. Putting this into perspective, Alistair Overeem recently weighed in on how although Poatan might have a long way to go till he is brought down, things might not be the same in the long run. 

Overeem spoke to JAXXON Podcast and gave a clear opinion that the Brazilian needs to have a rounded skillset to remain the UFC legend. The former K-1 World Grand Prix champion said, “He has an impressive resume, right? He knocked out Israel Adesanya I think twice followed Adesanya into UFC and then he is just winning his fights without any grappling and any ground so I kind of looked into it. I don’t see a long-term for him because he just does not have that ground you know even though he is strong and he is big. But you need to also be sharp right, you need to take other people down at some point. I mean he is very good in the standup but I don’t know I am skeptical.”

The Dutch fighting star has previously also shared the same outlook while speaking to talkSPORT as well. Overeem believes that Pereira has an amazing striking prowess but unless he improves his groundwork, he will be defeated sooner or later. It is only a matter of time according to the champ that ‘Poatan’s weaknesses are exposed. According to the kickboxer, Pereira is an amazing striker but his jiu-jitsu and grappling need more finesse. Thus the moment his opponents figure out a way to take him down and leverage his weakness, his game is over.

Pereira’s resume already has victories over former champions Jiri Prochazka, Israel Adesanya, and Jan Blachowicz. And while the Brazillian has shown interest in both the middleweight and heavyweight divisions, at the moment he is getting ready to fight Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 while seemingly beefing with Magomed Ankalaev. Let’s take a look at what’s that about!

Alex Pereira warns Magomed Ankalaev

Tensions are soaring high between the Dagestani star and light heavyweight champ, both of whom are currently scheduled to fight different opponents at two distinct events. While Poatan is slated to face Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307, Ankalaev is set to face Aleksandar Rakic at UFC Abu Dhabi. The initial fire was kindled by allegations of the fighters ‘ducking’ each other making rounds in the UFC world. The feud thus started when Daniel Cormier accused the UFC of protecting Pereira from Ankalaev. He said, “They want to protect that golden goose a little bit,” suggesting that Pereira might lose against a threat like Ankalaev.

Consequently, Pereira warned ‘Russian Terror’ who is #2 in the light heavyweight division, “I think Ankalaev has to be careful with Rakic…I’m learning what it’s like to be anxious. My want? I have to fight against Ankalaev. Show him what I can do.” This warning might come as a taunt. The Austrian star has a 14-4-0 record which does indeed make him a formidable opponent to the man with hands of stone.

On top of that the Dagestani’s clash with Pereira might not see the octagon since the latter wants to shift to try out other weight classes. But what do you think will be the outcome if the duo faces off in the future? Tell us in the comments below.