Last Sunday, Alex Pereira had to swallow the tough pill of defeat as Magomed Ankalaev dethroned him and claimed the light-heavyweight title. Winning by unanimous decision, Ankalaev took complete control of the pace against the former champion. While Pereira performed well in the first round, Ankalaev visibly dominated the rest of the fight. Amidst his chaotic defeat, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has come forward to highlight the reason why Pereira seemed a bit off.
Known for his amazing striking and explosiveness, Alex Pereira appeared lackluster in his attempt to defend his title for the fourth time and according to Aljamain Sterling, there are multiple reasons behind ‘Poatan’s defeat. “Pereira fights way too often,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel. “Three title defenses in seven months. That is insanity to do that.” Alex Pereria has been one of the most active fighters in the entirety of UFC. The former champ defended his light-heavyweight against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khabib Rountree in the last seven months.
It is worth noting that he not only defended his belt but also finished each opponent by knockout. However, the cost of such consistency may have been the wear and tear on his body, which, according to Sterling, could be the reason for his defeat against Magomed Ankalaev. “And it’s not like his fights were pitter-patter fights. You could say that Jamahal Hill won was no damage. Okay, cool. I understand that. The Jiri [fight], he took some damage in that. Then the Khalil Rountree fight was a big fight where he took some good shots.”
He further added, “You go from that, add on to the fact that he bounces back from these fights and he goes right back into the gym almost one, maybe two weeks later. You compound that with the amount of times that he’s sparring. When does Pereira give himself his body and his brain and his chin a chance to take a break and just recover?”
Staying consistent and saving Dana White has its drawbacks, as wear and tear can affect future performances. Aljamain Sterling fell victim to this, failing to defend his title against Sean O’Malley because he fought while still recovering. Well, maybe Alex Pereira will find some time to relax now as he is not the champion anymore but what’s next for the former champ? Israel Adesanya has the answer to it.
Israel Adesanya believes that an Alex Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev rematch is imminent
Israel Adesanya was visibly shaken as he watched his former nemesis, Alex Pereira, lose to Magomed Ankalaev. ‘Izzy’ understood that Pereira was not himself going into the fight, but as he witnessed the defeat, he struggled to comprehend it. Reacting to Alex Pereira’s loss Adesanya said, “What was that? He dropped him, yeah—won that round. Two, the whole thing—the holding, there was too much of the holding. What a stupid game we played. I f—– love the day—stupid f—— game.”
He further added, “I had Alex winning, I’m not sure. I will have to watch it again to score the match properly. Round two might have played a role, given that he dropped him, but holding him against the fence—I don’t really remember him taking any takedowns. Yeah, I think they should get a rematch. Pretty sure gets a rematch and spread the block.”
A rematch between these two has been hinted at by Dana White at the UFC 313 press conference. When asked about their rematch, the UFC CEO said, “Probably.” Interestingly, both Pereira and Ankalaev appeared to be ready to run it back once again. Given that, who do you think will emerge victorious in the rematch? Stat your thoughts in the comments below.
The post “That Is Insanity”- Despite Saving Dana White, Alex Pereira’s Biggest Mistake at UFC 313 Revealed by Aljamain Sterling appeared first on EssentiallySports.