Tag: Alex Pereira

Spinning Back Clique: Reaction to UFC 276, Daniel Cormier’s surprise Hall of Fame confession

“Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show, returns to discuss the fallout from UFC 276 and Daniel Cormier’s admission.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our panel of Mike Bohn, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Matthew Wells discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s middleweight title reign rolls on after he successfully defended the belt for the fifth time with a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 276. It was one-way traffic for 25 minutes, even if Adesanya thinks he had an “off night,” but a contingent of fans afterward heaped criticism on the champ for being boring and playing things too safely. Why is that happening to Adesanya and not necessarily to other dominant champions like Kamaru Usman and Valentina Shevchenko?
  • Continuing with middleweight, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] knocked out Sean Strickland in the first round at UFC 276 to set up a title shot against Adesanya, whom he’s beaten twice in kickboxing. Ever since his arrival to the UFC last November, people have been talking about Pereira posing a threat to Adesanya’s reign. How worried should Adesanya be about fighting Pereira in MMA?
  • As if two prior wins wasn’t enough, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] left zero doubt being better than Max Holloway after successfully defending his featherweight title with a masterful performance at UFC 276. Volkanovski afterward teased a move up to lightweight, which seemingly people seem to be open to. When he comes back, will there still be a push for him to pursue champ-champ status, or is there still work to do at featherweight?
  • Last week during his UFC Hall of Fame induction speech, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] admitted to using the towel trick from his wrestling days to make weight for his light heavyweight title fight against Anthony Johnson at UFC 210. If you recall, Cormier weighed in initially 1.2 pounds over the championship limit of 205. He came back on a second attempt, made weight and went on to defend his light heavyweight title the following day. This all happened while NOT doing anything to shed the additional weight in between his weigh-in attempts. What are your thoughts on DC’s admission?
  • [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] took his gloves off in the octagon at UFC 276 after losing to Jim Miller. Cerrone said he doesn’t love MMA anymore after 16 years, and Hollywood beckons. How will you remember the “Cowboy”? Do you consider him a UFC Hall of Famer?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.

Alex Pereira ‘triste’ por la victoria de Israel Adesanya en la UFC 276, promete que él ‘sí lo hará pelear’

LAS VEGAS – Alex Pereira no va a permitir que su pelea por el título contra Israel Adesanya sea poco emocionante. El sábado, Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) recibió una lluvia de críticas de los fans de las peleas tras una victoria por decisión …

LAS VEGAS – Alex Pereira no va a permitir que su pelea por el título contra Israel Adesanya sea poco emocionante.

El sábado, Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) recibió una lluvia de críticas de los fans de las peleas tras una victoria por decisión unánime en la defensa de su título contra Jared Cannonier, que fue relativamente tranquila, en el evento principal de la UFC 276 en el T-Mobile Arena. Independientemente de eso, retuvo el cinturón de peso mediano y preparó el escenario para pelear contra Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), quien dos peleas antes de la pelea estelar, anotó un KO espectacular en el primer round contra Sean Strickland.

Este par tiene una historia muy bien conocida: Pereira tiene dos victorias sobre Adesanya durante sus carreras de kickboxing, y una fue por nocaut.

Pereira estuvo presente durante la victoria de Adesanya y dijo que quedó decepcionado por lo que vio.

“No me emocionó y no emocionó al público”, le dijo Pereira a MMA Junkie y a otros reporteros durante la conferencia de prensa después de la pelea de UFC 276. “Me quedé muy triste de ver eso. Espero que cuando peleemos, él lo haga mejor que eso, pero por supuesto que lo voy a hacer pelear para darle al público un mejor espectáculo”.

Pereira dijo que estará listo para retar a Adesanya lo más pronto posible y promete que no será un asunto aburrido, como lo que pasó contra Cannonier.

“Cuando sea que él esté listo”, dijo Pereira, “Acabo de terminar mi pelea, estoy bien, puedo empezar a entrenar mañana mismo. Me voy a tomar dos semanas para disfrutar un poco de la vida, pero cuando él esté listo, yo estoy listo.”.

 

Artículo traducido por Ana Lucía Toledo

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Eugene Bareman: Sean Strickland ‘fumbled the bag’ against Alex Pereira at UFC 276

Israel Adesanya’s head coach really believed Sean Strickland was the logical next title challenger heading into UFC 276.

City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman thinks [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] messed up big time in his UFC 276 fight with [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

Strickland (25-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) was knocked out in the first round by Pereira this past Saturday in Las Vegas, where he was content to stand and trade with the former two-division Glory kickboxing champion until he got caught.

Bareman, who coaches Israel Adesanya, saw Strickland as more of a worthy challenger for the UFC middleweight champion than Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). The fact that Adesanya and Strickland got into a heated exchange during the UFC 276 pre-fight news conference added some spice to a potential matchup.

Bareman was disappointed to see Strickland lose out on the title opportunity.

“Sean Strickland fumbled the bag,” Bareman told Submission Radio. “Yeah, I don’t know. Like, come on, man. That, I thought, was the fight. But he fumbled the bag. I don’t want to talk too much on their fight, but look, man, did he think he wasn’t fighting one of the best strikers in the world that can take you out if you stand in front of him? Did he?

“Like, your arrogance can get you in trouble. Like, yeah, I recognize when people come from another sport what they are and give them their due respect that’s… yeah, he fumbled the bag. But all power to him. I hope he gets back in a position where Israel can fight him, because I know it’s a fight that Israel really wants. So all the best to Sean.”

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Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) notched his fifth title defense when he defeated Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC 276. He is expected to face Pereira next and while Bareman still think it’s too soon for “Poatan,” he understands the allure behind the matchup.

“Again, the UFC are brilliant at what they do,” Bareman said. “They’re brilliant at marketing. They’ve seen a story there, and they pushed this guy to a position that he, like, who’s gonna argue with me that he doesn’t deserve? How can, like, it’s ridiculous that he’s being put in the position to basically go for the title off the back of two wins over Israel in a completely different sport after beating just Sean Strickland. I mean, that’s crazy. But also, as much as a purist like me thinks that’s crazy, also I understand how the UFC machine works. And they see a marketable fight there, and they’re doing what they need to do.”

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UFC 276 post-event facts: Alexander Volkanovski joins exclusive club with 12-0 UFC start

Check out the facts and figures to come out of UFC 276, where Alexander Volkanovski continued his epic run with a 22nd consecutive win.

The biggest UFC event of the year thus far took place Saturday with UFC 276, which went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and featured a plethora of notable names – none more so than a pair of champions from Oceania.

In the main event, [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) outpointed [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) for a unanimous decision to defend the middleweight title. That win came soon after [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) defended the featherweight title against [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) with another unanimous decision in their trilogy bout.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 276.

Twitter reacts to Alex Pereira’s knockout of Sean Strickland at UFC 276

See the top Twitter reactions to Alex Pereira’s victory against Sean Strickland at UFC 276.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] likely solidified his first title shot on Saturday when he derailed the streak of [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] in the UFC 276 featured bout.

Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), a former GLORY kickboxing champ, validated himself as a legitimate title contender when he defeated Strickland (25-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) by first-round knockout in the high stakes middleweight bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Pereira’s victory over Strickland at UFC 276.

Alex Pereira def. Sean Strickland at UFC 276: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Alex Pereira’s win over Sean Strickland at UFC 276.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s knockout win over [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] at UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 276 results: Alex Pereira knocks out Sean Strickland with signature strike, calls for title shot

At UFC 276, Alex Pereira solidified himself as the next in line when he knocked Sean Strickland out in the first round.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] has added [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] to his highlight reel.

In a highly anticipated middleweight title eliminator at UFC 276, Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) knocked out Strickland (25-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) with his signature short left hook and follow-up punches at 2:36 of Round 1. The bout was part of the UFC 276 main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The fight was calm and patient until it wasn’t. The two fighters felt each other out until Pereira landed a left. Strickland stumble to the canvas, popped up, and was met by even more impactful punches. Upon his second fall, the referee stepped in and waved off the bout.

With the win, Pereira solidified a likely ong-awaited third combat sports matchup against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya if he beats Jared Cannonier in the UFC 276 main event. The two competed against each other twice in kickboxing – and Pereira won both fights. The first meeting ended in a decision. The rematch, however, was one for the highlight reel when Pereira knocked Adesanya out cold.

Since Pereira went full-in on MMA in 2020, he’s openly chased Adesanya. UFC 276 was only his third fight with the promotion. His other two victories were a decision over Bruno Silva and a knockout of Andreas Michailidis.

Strickland saw his six-fight winning streak snapped with the loss. His most recent loss prior to UFC 276 came against Elizeu Zaleski in May 2018.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 276 results include:

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UFC 276: Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 276 bout odds and lines between Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira, with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a middleweight bout on the main card, Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira meet Saturday at UFC 276 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Below, we analyze the UFC 276 Strickland vs. Pereira odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

The early prelims can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the prelims on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. The main card on Pay-Per-View starts at 10 p.m.

Strickland, the 31-year-old Xtreme Couture fighter, heads into this one searching for his 7th-consecutive victory. During his 6-bout win streak, he has 2 finishes via KO/TKO and 4 decision victories, including a split-decision win last time out over Jack Hermansson.

Strickland’s last finish was a second-round KO/TKO of Brendan Allen in Nov. 2020. In 28 career pro bouts, he has 11 finishes via KO/TKO (10-1), with 4 submission results (4-0).

Pereira, a.k.a. “Poatan”, takes the walk to the octagon on a 5-bout win streak, including a unanimous-decision victory over Bruno Silva last time out. Before that, he had 4 straight KO/TKO, including his debut with the company at UFC 268 against Andreas Michailidis.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC 276 Strickland vs. Pereira odds and lines

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:20 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Strickland -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Pereira -102 (bet $102 to win $100)
  • Total rounds Over 1.5 (-220) | Under 1.5 (+155)
  • Will the fight go the distance? Yes (+120) | No (-165)

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UFC 276 Strickland vs. Pereira picks and predictions

Records: Strickland (25-3-0) | Pereira (5-1-0)

Fight result (2-way line or money line)

STRICKLAND (-125) is the more accomplished fighter, and he easily has the larger sample size.

We saw Strickland take care of Hermansson last time out in a fight that really could’ve gone either way. So he is vulnerable to the upset. However, he has impressive wins over Uriah Hall and Krzysztof Jotko, as well as a KO/TKO of Nordine Taleb during this win streak. Pereira’s quality of competitor pales in comparison, and this will be a major step up from the tomato cans he is used to facing. It won’t end well.

Over/Under (O/U)

Over 1.5 rounds (-220) is a little on the expensive side, and there is just value there, although I think this fight easily goes past that mark.

The better play is taking YES (+120): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE, as Pereira had the judges decide his fate in his most recent UFC event, while Strickland has ended up going the distance in 3 straight; 4 of the past 5; and 10 of his past 14 fights overall.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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Photos: UFC 276 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos from the UFC 276 ceremonial weigh-ins and the final fighter faceoffs.

Check out these photos from the UFC 276 ceremonial weigh-ins at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Photos by Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

UFC 276 pre-fight news conference: Best photos

Check out photos from the UFC 276 pre-fight news conference that included Israel Adesanya, Max Holloway, Sean O’Malley and more.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC 276 pre-fight news conference took place Thursday at T-Mobile Arena and featured all 10 main card competitors including [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag], [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag], [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag], [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag], and [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag].

Check out the best photos from MMA Junkie and Getty Images below.