“My Backyard”- Alex Pereira Explains Why Fighting in Madison Square Garden Is Favorable for His Win Over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295

With UFC 295 just around the corner, fight fans all across the globe are waiting tirelessly for the main event of the card, and for good reason. Jiří Procházka (29-3-1) will go against Alex Pereira (8-2) for the UFC light-heavyweight strap at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The two masterclass strikers will undoubtedly bring in the heat for the fight, with high chances for either fighter to put the other’s lights out. Given the reputation of both fighters, the fight will most likely not see the distance. Days removed from the bout, Pereira had some bold claims ahead of the fight.

Alex Pereira claims Madison Square Garden to be his backyard

‘Poatan’ in an interview with UFC.com stated, “It’s basically my backyard. It’s a one-and-a-half-hour drive to Madison Square Garden.” Pereira says this as he has moved to Danbury with his family after the light-heavyweight contender bought a house there with his partner.

One other reason could be that Alex Pereira feels confident in the fight against Procházka, as he is already 2-0 in the Madison Square Garden. One of which was against Israel Adesanya(24-3) for the UFC middleweight championship. The other being Yousri Belgaroui who he finished in the first round to defend his Glory middleweight title in 2018.

Additionally, Pereira will become the first and only UFC star so far to have headlined Madison Square Garden twice since the UFC started to hold shows in New York. This achievement is monumental considering he will be surpassing the likes of Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal.

Madison Square Garden has a way of making outstanding fighters look even greater, like the time Conor McGregor (22-6) beat Eddie Alvarez (30-8) to become double champ. Alex Pereira has certainly proved that he’s one of them, but can he elevate himself above the rest this Saturday?

How ‘Poatan’ sees his opponent Jiří Procházka

Pereira knows that Procházka is no easy fight but believes that he has the tools necessary to win the fight. He states, “We can see that Jiri unpredictable, but I have a lot of kickboxing experience.”

Alex Pereira also claims to have fought talents like Procházka before, so he knows what he’s in for and is ready to go to war. This is not false as three of the five fighters he has fought had held UFC gold at some point in their career. Not to mention the monsters he fought in his Kickboxing days.

Also Read: Alex Pereira Kickboxing Record: Losses, KOs and All About the Ex-UFC Champ’s Stellar Career

However, Procházka proved time and time again inside the Octagon that he’s a tough customer. Does Alex Pereira have what it takes to beat the unpredictability of Jiří Procházka and become a two-division champ? Or will Jiří Procházka prove to us fans why he’s still the division’s uncrowned champ?

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