Channel: mmadigest

Category: Sports

Tags: mmasean stricklandcombat sportsufcalex pereiraisrael adesanya

Description: The UFC really likes Alex Pereira. He's only had to 2 fights in the UFC, only 6 in his MMA career, he isn't ranked but they're planning on having him bypass 10 guys in the rankings and take on #4 ranked Sean Strickland at UFC 277 this summer. This is one of the fastest promotional pushes ever by the UFC. They really want a new and interesting challenger for Adesanya, and Alex would definitely be that one because he has 2 wins over Izzy in kickboxing, the last one was a devastating KO. And if Alex does beat Strickland, then he will probably will get a title shot vs Adesanya, assuming Adesanya wins his next fight vs Cannonier. Alex would be the only option if he beat Strickland because Whittaker has already lost twice to Adesanya and just lost to him recently, same story with Vettori, Brunson's falling in and out of retirement and just lost. So if Alex beats Strickland he'd be the guy to fight Adesanya. But does he beat Strickland? Probaby not. Unless Strickland decides to a fight pure standup fight like he did vs Jack Hermansson and most of his recent fights. If he does that he'll probably get KO'd. But as wild as unhinged as Strickland can come across, he's intelligent enough to know it's stupid to strike with Alex and he has a clear path to winning by using his wrestling and ground skills. Although the odds don't favor it, a crazy possibility that the UFC has created is Alex beating Strickland, and then beating Adesanya to become a UFC champ in just 4 fights.