Sean Strickland was an underdog in his fight against Israel Adesanya at UFC 293. Nobody gave Strickland a chance to defeat “The Last Stylebender.” One man who predicted Strickland’s victory was none other than Alex Pereira.
Adesanya’s longstanding rival is the only UFC fighter who holds a victory over Strickland and Adesanya. The Brazilian fighter defeated both of them by TKO/KO. “Poatan” is currently competing in the light heavyweight division, and in his debut bout in the new division, he defeated Jan Blachowicz via unanimous decision.
Alex Pereira slams Israel Adesanya
Pereira and Adesanya have one of the biggest rivalries in combat sports history. Their rivalry spans four bouts, with two in MMA and two in kickboxing. The Brazilian was successful in kickboxing, winning both fights. Poatan secured the victory in the first kickboxing match through a controversial decision and won the second fight via KO.
In MMA, they are tied at 1-1, with Pereira beating Adesanya in their first encounter, and Adesanya emerging victorious in the rematch. Both fighters have maintained a cordial relationship with each other since their last meeting at UFC 287.
Pereira was vocal about returning to the middleweight division once again after accomplishing his mission at light heavyweight. However, his plans came to a halt with Adesanya losing the title at UFC 293. Pereira posted on X, implying that his plans for a trilogy fight against Adesanya in a trilogy have come to a halt.
Seems like my plans to go down one more time to Middleweight ran out…
— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) September 10, 2023
Dana White is adamant that Pereira is not moving down in weight. The UFC president has also made it clear that he is in favor of a Strickland versus Adesanya rematch. However, Izzy has already cleared out the division, while Strickland has only fought Jared Cannonier, the backup fighter for the UFC 293 headliner, who is in the top 5 of the division.
Poatan praises sparring partner
Pereira and Sean have maintained a cordial relationship since their meeting at UFC 276. ‘Tarzan’ even traveled to Connecticut to train with Pereira and Glover Texeira. The sparring video of the two fighters is available on Pereira’s YouTube channel.
Pereira posted on X to congratulate the American fighter for the incredible victory. He was quick to note that nobody believed him when he said that Strickland had the best chance of defeating Adesanya. Pereira might have witnessed the level of striking that Strickland possesses during their sparring.
I told u guys – but nobody believed me !
Congrats @SStricklandMMA 🏆. You deserve it !!!— Alex "Poatan" Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) September 10, 2023
Pereira is currently rumored to fight Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight title. No official announcement has been made but Dana White seems to be okay with the idea as he expressed his interest in the fight during the post-fight presser of the Contender Series.
What do you think of Alex Pereira correctly predicting UFC 293? What do you think is next for Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland ? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
