A prominent striking expert in mixed martial arts predicts that Alex Pereira will spectacularly reclaim his light heavyweight championship this Saturday night at UFC 320. Pereira aims to surpass Daniel Cormier`s record and avenge his previous loss to Magomed Ankalaev.
Many fans and fellow fighters believed “Poatan” wasn`t at his best when he faced the Russian at UFC 313 in March. While some suggest Pereira needed to adjust his sparring regimen for victory, another celebrated striker offers a different perspective on what will be the decisive factor.
Stephen Thompson Predicts Alex Pereira`s Dominant Return Thanks to Time Off
In a recent interview, Stephen Thompson, a renowned striker, shared his thoughts on the UFC 320 main event. Thompson, who is also looking for a rematch, highlighted a crucial element he believes will give Alex Pereira a significant advantage.
Before and after his initial bout with Magomed Ankalaev, there was considerable debate regarding whether Pereira`s consistent fighting schedule had negatively affected his performance. Thompson pointed to several fighters (like Kevin Holland, Neil Magny, and Donald Cerrone) who initially enjoyed win streaks before their frequent activity eventually took its toll.
“Wonderboy” suggests this was the case for Pereira last time. However, after a period of rest, Thompson believes a fully recovered “Poatan” will reclaim his title on October 4.
“Your body is just too worn down, they’re not all there. They didn’t look the same. If you notice, Alex just didn’t look like the Alex of old and I do believe he was too consistent. But, I was there live for that fight and I predicted that the next time that they fight, Alex Pereira is coming with a vengeance,” Thompson remarked. “You need to give your body time to heal and I think it’s going to be all Alex this time. I think he’s going to go out there and he’s gonna crush him.”
Tom Aspinall Views Magomed Ankalaev as a Difficult Matchup for Alex Pereira
During his breakdown of the main event, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall made a significant observation about Alex Pereira`s fighting style.
“I think the matchups were quite favorable to Alex Pereira up until Magomed Ankalaev,” the British fighter commented on TNT Sports’ Tom Aspinall’s Fight Lab.
Although Aspinall acknowledged Pereira`s successful takedown defense in their first encounter, he still believes Ankalaev poses a formidable challenge to the Brazilian due to his grappling prowess.
“Just with the threats of the takedown, even in the first fight we didn’t really see Ankalaev really go for the takedowns too much, but I think just the threat being there, stylistically he’s a bad matchup for Pereira,” Aspinall concluded.
