Anthony Smith questions Alex Pereira's durability ahead of light heavyweight debut
Following his recent loss, Alex Pereira announced that he would be making a move up to light heavyweight and set his sights on a path toward the 205lb title. Despite being one of the most accomplished strikers in the sport, Anthony Smith has questioned the Brazilian's durability with his imminent debut in the division.
Similar to 'Poatan'—despite having great success in the middleweight division—'Lionheart' decided the weight cut was too damaging and chose to move up in weight. Since then, the 53-fight MMA veteran has most famously competed against Jon Jones for UFC gold and has had multiple runs of ups and downs.
During a recent interview, Anthony Smith doubted Alex Pereira's ability to endure damage. He indicated that it could be a major negative factor in his career at light heavyweight.
"Izzy is incredibly accurate. Great timing, great angles. He can hit you in the right spot and he'll shut you right off. But he hurt Pereira not with a huge shot in their first fight in the UFC. I just wonder how, with all of his kickboxing and he was hurt real bad first Izzy fight, he got knocked out real bad in this one. I wonder how he holds up durability-wise at 205."
Although Israel Adesanya isn't the biggest power puncher, he expertly uses awkward entries and timing to catch opponents off guard. While those at light heavyweight will carry much more power than those at middleweight, not having to drain his body to make the weight as much could benefit Alex Pereira.
Check out what Anthony Smith had to say in the video below:
Alex Pereira's next fight: Who said they would "dominate" the Brazilian in his light heavyweight debut?
Alex Pereira will likely have no shortage of contenders lining up to meet him in the octagon. But one man claimed that he would dominate the competitor if they ever collided in the cage.
Following his title win in January, Jamahal Hill has been at odds with 'Poatan' and the two have fired shots at one another through social media. The feud escalated after the now-205lb champion claimed he would knock the former middleweight out during an interview.
More recently, 'Sweet Dreams' predicted an easy outcome in a possible future bout with Pereira, stating that it would be a dominant one-sided victory in favor of himself.
Check out the video below: