Alex Pereira proved once again why standing up and hitting with him is like playing with fire.
In his first opportunity to make a statement about pay-per-view against a highly ranked opponent, Pereira uncorked a devastating left hook that put Sean Strickland in the first round at UFC 276. It was an impressive end. Pereira just needed a single shot to land flush that dropped Strickland to the canvas where the Brazilian gave a huge blow before the referee rushed to stop the game.
The official end time came at 2:36 of the first round.
“I don’t care what you say in pre-fight interviews, I don’t take anything personal,” Pereira said of Strickland. “I want to thank him for fighting with me. We had a strong strategy. It took a while in there for the knockout.”
Facing an elite kickboxer did not deter Strickland from his normal game plan where he was pressuring Pereira as he tried to establish his volume shot game. Strickland seemed to be adjusting to his usual pace, but Pereira was just waiting for his time as he exploded with kicks as he searched for the perfect opening to free his hands.
The opportunity came in the middle of the round with Pereira stepping in to throw the left hook, the same punch that hit UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in his last meeting in a kickboxing ring in 2017, and detonated Strickland’s chin.
Like Adesanya’s knockout, Strickland was made possible by Pereira’s considerable power, as he went 3-0 at the UFC while positioning himself for a possible title opportunity below.
“A lot of people talk about my two wins over Israel Adesanya, but they say they’re kickboxing,” Pereira said. “I just won number 4 [fighter] in the ranking, so I know I won it [title shot]. We are going to encourage Adesanya tonight ”.