At UFC 276, an unranked Pereira took a massive leap in competition to face the No. 4-ranked middleweight contender, Sean Strickland. Primarily a boxer who tries to wear you down over time, Strickland immediately put the pressure on, forcing Pereira to move backwards against the cage. Pereira, being a two-division world champion kickboxer, wasn’t fazed.
WATCH: Alex Pereira Post-Fight Interview | UFC 276
Halfway through the first round, in what was basically a kickboxing match, Pereira landed his patented left hook, stunning Strickland. “Poatan” followed it up with two straight rights that closed the show early, earning him an immediate title shot against Adesanya, who he beat twice during his kickboxing career. At UFC 281, it will be another huge step up in competition for Pereira, who only has seven professional mixed martial arts fights to his name, but his past success in kickboxing (and against Adesanya) will certainly give him confidence going into UFC 281’s headliner.
