Israel Adesanya-Conqueror in Talks to Face Sean Strickland at UFC 277

Published 03/27/2022, 4:01 AM EDT

It is no surprise that the middleweight division of the UFC is a tad bit stagnant. Given Israel Adesanya and his supremacy in it, there’s a lack of stylistic matchups. However, good news about the division came in the form of Alex Pereira.

Alex Pereira is starting to turn some heads in the UFC currently. Most fight fans are just getting to know that Pereira has been the only fighter to ever knockout Israel Adesanya before. With just two fights under his record in the UFC, Alex Pereira wants Adesanya as soon as possible. And the UFC is all for it.

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Sources have stated that Alex Pereira versus Sean Strickland is in the works for UFC 277 on July 30. Verbal agreements have taken place, and the official announcement is yet to come.

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Brett Okamoto of ESPN posted on Instagram with the caption, “Super interesting matchup in the works for UFC 277 on July 30… Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira is verbally agreed to, per sources. Has the look of an all action fight on the feet. No official location for this card yet.”

Although the location hasn’t yet been finalized, the official announcement is likely to confirm that. The UFC sees great potential in Pereira for the middleweight division, hence are pushing him very quickly for a title shot soon.

This works very well for Sean Strickland as well, as he can have an all-out stand-up game versus Pereira. The Brazilian is a professional kickboxer and will probably stick to a stand-up game. Moreover, Pereira is a great opponent for Strickland, and the fight will definitely make the middleweight division interesting again.

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Alex Pereira: The only fighter who knocked out Israel Adesanya

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It would surely make a fighter feel a certain way against an opponent they had lost to previously. This is also given the fact that Adesanya has never been knocked out in his career, apart from the one dealt by Pereira.

It almost seems poetic for the hero of the middleweight division to prove himself once more on the world stage. His loss against Pereira was years back, and Adesanya has grown a lot more as a fighter. His expertise and work ethic in the sport will make him go down as one of the greatest.

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Pereira, however, has stated that he will see through Adesanya as he did twice before. Things are starting to build momentum in the division, and honestly, UFC fans are all for it.

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Written by:

Rohit Raj is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. As a Business student, Rohit’s love for the UFC was double-sided with the business of it being just as intriguing as the martial arts aspect of it. “Don't just fight, perform” is a quote that he believes drives the most entertaining fights of the UFC, with the likes of Conor McGregor, Chael Sonnen, and Israel Adesanya sweeping him off his feet with their skill as well as swagger and trash talk capabilities.

Israel Adesanya-Conqueror in Talks to Face Sean Strickland at UFC 277

Alex Pereira: The only fighter who knocked out Israel Adesanya

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