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UFC star Alex Pereira finally found a match for his knockout power when he fell at the hands of archrival Israel Adesanya at the recently concluded UFC 287. The Brazilian fighter, who previously terrorized the middleweights in Glory and also UFC, lay unconscious on the mat after a right hook caught him lacking. Not only did the New Zealander snatch the UFC gold, but he also handed ‘Poatan’ his first knockout loss of his MMA career. However, the outcome didn’t surprise Sean Strickland.
‘Tarzan’, who previously registered his name on the list of Pereira’s knockout victims, contrarily held he was “very hittable”. Notably, the former Glory champion over the years built a reputation for packing raw power. Despite facing the full brunt of Pereira’s left hook, the 32-year-old expressed Pereira wasn’t immune to hitting, as evidenced by his recent TKO loss.
Sean Strickland believed no one disputed Alex Pereira wasn’t hittable
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In a conversation with The Schmo, the American fighter revealed he hit the former UFC champion in their fight at UFC 276. His hits did substantial damage as blood gushed from Pereira’s face.
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via Imago
MMA: UFC 287 – Pereira vs Adesanya Apr 8, 2023 Miami, Florida, USA Alex Pereira red gloves fights Israel Adesanya blue gloves during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Miami Miami-Dade Arena Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRichxStorryx 20230409_szo_fw1_0315
Thus, he contended, “You know Alex is very f*cking hittable. No one ever said Alex isn’t hittable. If you watch me fight Alex, I hit the guy. I was hitting the guy. There was blood coming down his face.”
“My d*ck was getting hard and then I got knocked out by a big f*cking Brazilian,” he added later on.
Following this, the #7 ranked middleweight pointed out no one contended Pereira couldn’t be hit. But everyone agreed he hit with sheer force.
Thus, he summed up, “No one said you can’t hit Alex. What we say about Alex is he hits really f*cking hard. And when those f*cking punches connect, you tend to not know what the f*ck happened.”
Afterward, when asked about the probability of Pereira moving up to 205 lbs, the New Bern native suggested the former kickboxer would be happier there.
Strickland believes Pereira belongs at 205 lbs
Strickland, while ceded to the possibility of a rematch with Pereira, also firmly believed Pereira should move up to 205. Lastly, he said, “He’s a big motherf*cker. Life is miserable. You’ll be better at 205. He’ll be happier.”
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Markedly, Sean Strickland broke his 2-loss slump when he faced Nassourdine Imavov early this year. The win interestingly came at light heavyweight, the division where Pereira most likely is headed. Therefore, there might be a possible rematch in making if the stars coincide.
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What do you think of these statements by UFC star Sean Strickland about Alex Pereira? Do you believe his comments hold water? Let us know in the comments below.
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