Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira is throwing his support behind Sean Strickland ahead of Strickland’s title shot against Khamzat Chimaev in the UFC 328 main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Saturday.
Strickland enters as a big underdog against middleweight champion Chimaev, but Pereira, who has trained with Strickland in the past and recently worked with him again at the UFC Performance Institute, says his view of the American changed over time.
"Before our fight, I saw him differently," Pereira said. "But once he stepped into the octagon, you could see it on his face. He was a different guy. He's a warrior. The first time we trained together was after our fight, I learned a lot from those sessions. He's got a lot of experience. He knows his craft."
Pereira previously knocked out Strickland at UFC 276 to earn his middleweight title shot, then went on to finish Israel Adesanya by TKO at UFC 281 to end Adesanya's title reign. Now, he’s clear about who he wants to see leave Newark with the belt.
"He's always moving forward, firing that jab. That's a great weapon he has. Everyone knows I'm rooting for Sean Strickland. He's got to stay composed, keep pressing forward, stay alert, watch out for the takedowns, and use his jab and front kick. I'm really excited and motivated for this fight, and I hope he gets the win."
Pereira is next scheduled to fight Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the UFC Freedom 250 co-headliner on June 14 from the White House in Washington D.C.
