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UFC 276

Alex Pereira brutally knocks out Sean Strickland, calls out Adesanya

Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) sensation Alex Pereira continued his charge for the Middleweight belt after defeating Sean Strickland at UFC 276.

Alex Pereira stopped Sean Strickland with a devastating first round knockout

Alex Pereira came into the fight as somewhat of an underdog because he was going up against a seasoned UFC competitor in Strickland. Aside from some sharp footwork early in the round looking to put the Brazilian on the backfoot, Strickland barely got into the fight, and Pereira was his usual unforgiving self.

Pereira dealt some early kicks to his opponent’s calves and used the opportunity to test the range of his jabs. Despite being unbeaten at Middleweight going into this encounter, Strickland never looked like beating Pereira.

At just over two minutes on the clock in the first round, Pereira rattled his opponent with a good kick before following up with a powerful left hook and several smaller shots. The referee called the fight, and just like that, Alex Pereira ended Strickland’s imperious aura.

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Unlike many fighters, Pereira was also gracious in victory, thanking his foe for a good fight and stating that despite their trash-talking heading into the fight, he cherishes the opportunity to fight him.

“I want to appreciate my opponent, despite all that was said in the build-up to this fight, I have a great respect for him and I want to thank him for this fight,” Pereira said.

With six wins from his seven UFC fights, Pereira is turning heads with his finishing, agility and surprising power. Many fans and Pereira himself have made calls for the Brazilian to fight against former foe Israel Adesanya, who he defeated twice in their kickboxing days.

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Pereira remains confident that he will get his fight and believes that with his performance on the night, he has shown that he deserves it, despite claims by Adesanya that he is not ready.

“Many people talk about my two wins against Israel Adesanya and say that it was in kickboxing and maybe I don't deserve it [the title shot], but I just defeated the number four in the UFC, I think that shows that I deserve it,” Pereira said through his translator.

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