Alex Pereira “Gambling His Career” for Sean Strickland? A Deadly Mistake Before UFC 313!
The relationship between Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland has taken an unexpected turn. Once fierce opponents, with Pereira brutally knocking out Strickland in their 2022 bout, the two are now training together ahead of UFC 312.
This partnership follows a similar pattern—Strickland previously helped Pereira prepare for UFC 307, and now the Brazilian is returning the favor. However, this decision comes with serious risks because Pereira has his own war waiting at UFC 313 against Magomed Ankalaev.
The question now is: Is Pereira making a mistake by putting Strickland’s training ahead of his own title defense?
Daniel Cormier warns: “This is a dangerous decision.”
Former two-division UFC champion and current analyst Daniel Cormier has voiced concerns about Pereira’s decision to split his focus.
“Alex Pereira is about to face one of the toughest opponents in his division, and yet he’s flying halfway across the world to help Strickland. To me, that’s risky.”
Cormier highlighted that traveling to Australia for Strickland’s training camp could have physical consequences, including fatigue from long flights, jet lag, and potential injuries from sparring. More importantly, Pereira’s time away from his own coaches and game plan could hurt him against Ankalaev, a dangerous wrestler.
Could Pereira be sabotaging his own title defense?
Strickland and Coach Eric Nicksick: “We Need Pereira”
Despite the concerns, both Sean Strickland and his coach, Eric Nicksick of Xtreme Couture MMA, firmly believe that Pereira’s involvement is crucial.
“People say Alex doesn’t speak English well, but he doesn’t need to. He was right behind me, telling me exactly what Sean should do—when to kick, when to punch. That’s all we need.” Nicksick explained.
The undeniable fact is that Pereira is one of the best strikers in UFC history, and his insights could provide Strickland with the edge needed to reclaim the UFC Middleweight Championship.
But that still leaves a key question: Does Strickland’s fight take priority over Pereira’s own title defense?
UFC 312: Does Strickland Really Need Pereira?
At UFC 297, Strickland suffered a razor-thin split decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis, with the judges’ scorecards reading 48-47, 47-48, 47-48. Now, heading into their rematch at UFC 312, Strickland is determined to reclaim his belt.
Strickland knows he must refine his striking and overall fight IQ to avoid another close loss. That’s why he’s trusting Pereira’s expertise.
But the real concern is: At what cost for Pereira?
Is Alex Pereira Compromising His UFC 313 Preparation?
Pereira’s decision to help Strickland is commendable, but it comes at a risky time.
Just a month after UFC 312, Pereira will step into the octagon against Magomed Ankalaev—one of the most dangerous grapplers in the light heavyweight division.
While Strickland has trained with Ankalaev before, his bond with Pereira seems far stronger. But will this friendship backfire on Pereira as he prepares for his title defense?
