Amid links to a potential one-time return to his former middleweight stomping ground, Alex Pereira would be a “nightmare” re-run for fellow former divisional champion, Sean Strickland according to his own head coach, Eric Nicksick.
Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight gold holder and the current light heavyweight champion, weighed up a spectacular one-time return to 185lbs over the course of last weekend, in direct response to Dricus du Plessis’ submission win over common-foe, Israel Adesanya.
Already booked for his next outing in the Octagon, Sao Paulo knockout ace, Pereira is slated to headline UFC 307 at the beginning of October, taking on the surging, Khalil Rountree in his third appearance of the year.
Furthermore, with Pereira weighing up a potential divisional drop, the above-mentioned, Strickland could prospectively find himself linked to a rematch with the Brazilian – although he is likely to challenge du Plessis in a title rematch according to UFC boss, Dana White.
Alex Pereira rematch billed a “nightmare” for Sean Strickland
Fighting him back in 2022, Strickland dropped a stunning opening round knockout loss to Pereira in a title-eliminator clash at middleweight. However, if coach Nicksick has any say in the matchmaking, he has no wish to see his student tackle the berserker.
“That’s a nightmare,” Eric Nicksick told Submission Radio of a rematch between Sean Strickland, and Alex Pereira. “That’s a nightmare, to relive that all over again. Just stay up there at 205 (pounds), man, do your thing up there. We’re good.”
Sidelined since he headlined UFC 303 at the end of June during International Fight Week, Pereira turned in a stunning second round high-kick knockout win over two-time foe, Jiri Prochazka in the pair’s title rematch in Las Vegas.