"This is matchmaking at its finest" - Chael Sonnen applauds the Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira matchup
News recently broke that the UFC is targeting a middleweight fight between Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira.
In a recently uploaded video to his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen praised the decision to match the pair of strikers together.
"Take a look at Pereira vs. Strickland. This is matchmaking at its finest."
Pereira competed against current middleweight champion Adesanya twice in kickboxing and came out victorious both times. The Brazilian is also the only fighter to have ever knocked 'The Last Stylebender' out.
According to Sonnen, the history between 'Poatan' and Adesanya makes the Strickland vs. Pereira fight exciting. That's because the winner could potentially go on to challenge for the title next.
You can watch Chael Sonnen's full video below:
Another exciting thing about this matchup is the difference in MMA experience between the two middleweights. Strickland has competed in 28 MMA fights and has emerged victorious in 25 of them. 'Tarzan' is currently riding a six-fight win streak in the UFC.
Pereira, on the other hand, has only had six MMA fights, winning five of them. 'Poatan' is only two fights old in the UFC and is now expected to take on the No.4-ranked contender in his next fight. That is a big jump in competition for the Brazilian.
Sean Strickland believes that the winner should get the next title shot
Sean Strickland was recently interviewed by Helen Yee, during which he spoke about his likely upcoming fight with Alex Pereira.
'Tarzan' said that he was excited to fight the Brazilian, who is new to the middleweight division. He added that he is expecting to earn a title shot with a potential win.
"With [Alex Pereira], it's like, this, kind of like, scary thing. Like, it kind of gets me excited, you know. You see him, you're like, 'Oh man, like, you're a big scary-looking kickboxer. I want to fight you.' So, I do like the fact that he does have that unknown factor, you know. New blood. I mean, new blood." When asked about a potential title shot, he said, "100%. I mean, [Robert Whittaker] and [Marvin Vettori], and again, I love Marvin, he's a savage, but Whittaker and Marvin, they had their shot. The winner of me and Alex should get the title. Absolutely. I think everybody wants that."
Watch Sean Strickland's full interview with Helen Yee below:
Middleweight king Adesanya is currently expected to take on Jared Cannonier for his next title defense. Cannonier is coming off a great knockout win against Derek Brunson at UFC 271.