"That guy is built like Nate Diaz" - Fans left dumbfounded by video of Alex Pereira getting demolished on feet in his sole MMA loss
Alex Pereira has taken the MMA world by storm since he entered the UFC in November 2021. 'Poatan' seemingly has dynamite power in his hands and the ability to knock people out cold.
He fought two unranked opponents in his first two UFC bouts. However, Pereira faced Sean Strickland in his third fight, who was ranked No.4 at the time. It was a massive step up in competition for the Brazilian, but he was able to knock Strickland out halfway through round one. A title fight between 'Poatan' and Israel Adesanya has been finalized since that bout.
With the biggest moment of his MMA career approaching, footage of Pereira's first-ever MMA fight has surfaced, and it has taken fans by surprise. In the video, 'Poatan' is seen being outstruck on the feet, before being submitted via a rear-naked choke.
Watch the video below:
Fans took to the comments section to give their reactions to the bout. One user compared Pereira to Nate Diaz:
"That guy is built like Nate Diaz."
Another fan took the opportunity to praise the strength of the Brazilian's chin:
"That dude has a granite chin."
Some fans have brought Pereira's potential to beat Adesanya into question after seeing the footage. Others have poked fun at the demise of Strickland, claiming that he wouldn't have been knocked out if he had just watched this footage.
Check out the comments below:
'Poatan' has two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing. Prior to the footage of Alex Pereira's first MMA fight being released, many fans were extremely confident that he would dethrone 'The Last Stylebender' in the UFC.
Alex Pereira releases video mocking Israel Adesanya's training methods ahead of UFC 281
Alex Pereira's rivalry with Israel Adesanya stretches all the way back to 2016, when the pair faced each other in the first of their two kickboxing matches. 'Poatan' was able to win both fights, the first via decision and the rematch by knockout in 2017.
Ahead of their UFC 281 clash, 'The Last Stylebender' released a video showcasing his training preparations for the fight. Adesanya can be seen focusing on improving his reaction time by dodging tennis balls.
Pereira has since released a video mocking the champion's use of tennis balls as a preparation technique. In the video, 'Poatan' can be seen sparring whilst on a hoverboard. The Brazilian wrote the following in his caption:
"Training with a tennis ball is easy! I want to see him train boxing on top of a hoverboard." [Translated by Google]
Watch the video below:
It will be fascinating to see if Alex Pereira is able to get a third victory over Adesanya. With 'The Last Stylebender' being vastly more experienced in MMA, he may choose to incorporate grappling into his game plan in order to get the win.