The UFC middleweight division has a new contender – Alex Pereira. The former two-division Glory kickboxing champion showed his striking prowess at UFC 276 with a blistering finish to a pivotal middleweight contest on the main card. He beat #4 ranked Sean Strickland.

‘Poatan‘ improved to 6-1, 3-0 inside the Octagon. Besides, it appears the UFC’s plan to fast-track him to a title bout worked, chiefly after the big result. After the bout, the Cruz MMA representative received a heap of praise from veteran UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

“He’s got that nuclear option, you cannot make a mistake,” said Rogan. He also pointed out the shot with which, Pereira knocked down ‘Tarzan’, “Same hook he knocked Adesanya with.”

Previously, the 34-year-old, ‘Poatan’ has two wins over Adesanya in kickboxing. Their first fight went to the judges’ scorecard, while their second bout was a brutal knockout that came with a clean left hook.

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Fans, who followed ‘The Last Stylebender‘ and ‘Poatan’ rivalry from the kickboxing scene, know these two were always touted to compete again against each other. And, finally, it appears the two are on a collision course in MMA. And to up the stakes, they will fight for the UFC middleweight title.

MMA world reacts to Alex Pereira winning impressively at UFC 276

The middleweight standout, Pereira, took the T-Mobile Arena by storm. While the crowd in attendance was in shock, even the fans watching the event from home were in awe of the slick left hook finish. Thus, they shared their instant reactions to Alex Pereira’s win on social media.

After getting a win over the #4 ranked Sean Strickland, who was undefeated in the division prior to UFC 276, and considering the history he has with the champion, Pereira might find himself facing ‘The Last Stylebender‘ in his next bout.

Also, since the champion likes to have quick turnarounds and Pereira did not take any significant damage in his bout, the next middleweight title contest could take place soon.

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What do you think of the featured middleweight bout at UFC 276? Is Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira the next bout to make in the middleweight division? Who will have the striking edge in MMA? Let us know in the comments section.