Nicknamed ‘Poatan’, Portuguese for ‘Hands of Stone’, Alex Pereira possesses tremendous power. This makes his opponents flinch with even strikes on their guard. He developed this elite striking pedigree during his illustrious kickboxing career. And this helped catapult him to becoming the middleweight champion of the UFC.
However, some feel things seem different since he moved to light heavyweight. After his 205-pound debut against Jan Blachowicz, questions are being raised about how his power has translated into the heavier division. And as he sets up to face former champion, Jiri Prochazka for the light heavyweight title at UFC 295 on November 11, let us look at the losses he has suffered in his MMA career.
Who has Alex Pereira lost to in his MMA career?
‘Poatan’ has lost two fights and won eight in his ten-fight mixed martial arts career. The first came against Quemuel Ottoni on his MMA debut at Jungle Fight 82 in 2015. Ottoni was able to submit him in the third round via a rear naked choke. This was a loss in his first MMA fight for the Brazilian. His second loss, however, is much more famous and interesting, coming at the hands of long-time rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 this year.
Adesanya and Pereira first met during the ring in their kickboxing days. Pereira was able to defeat the Kiwi in both of their kickboxing encounters. He continued his winning streak against ‘Izzy’ in their first MMA encounter at UFC 281 last November, defeating the latter via a fifth-round KO to capture the middleweight title.
Their UFC rematch in April this year, however, did not go Pereira’s way and handed him his first UFC loss. ‘Izzy’ set a beautiful trap for ‘Poatan’ in that bout and knocked his nemesis out in the second round to reclaim the middleweight title.
And while he managed to eke out a split-decision win over Blachowicz on his light heavyweight debut, many feel the decision could have gone either way. And as he gears up for his 205 title shot, given his previous performance, some feel he may be staring down the barrel of another loss against Prochazka.
Pereira vs. Prochazka to headline UFC 295 after heavyweight title bout canned
Pereira vs. Prochazka was originally scheduled to be the co-main event for UFC 295. However, after the cancellation of the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic bout due to the former’s injury, the light heavyweight title fight has been promoted to the main event.
Although he did not have an impressive showing against Blachowicz, it should be noted that their fight was mostly on the ground, which is not Pereira’s strong suit. Prochazka, on the other hand, is a through-and-through striker like Pereira. And their fight will probably be a stand-up affair, which Pereira would undoubtedly prefer. Who do you think will win the light heavyweight title at UFC 295? Let us know in the comments section below.
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