Reigning UFC light heavyweight kingpin, Alex Pereira, is expected to corner former 185-pound champion, Sean Strickland, when “Tarzan” battles Dricus Du Plessis for the division strap atop the UFC 312 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Feb. 8 in Sydney.
Former two-division titleholder, Daniel Cormier, believes that’s a “risky” move for Pereira, who is currently training for his own upcoming title fight. “Poatan” faces No. 1-ranked contender, Magomed Ankalaev, in the UFC 313 main event on March 8 in Las Vegas.
“What we do know is that Alex Pereira is going to be fighting a guy who could be his most formidable opponent because of the style,” Cormier said on YouTube. “But we also have to take into effect that his relationship with Strickland is so strong that he’s willing to travel across the world to corner him. To me, it seems dangerous.”
Pereira and Strickland linked up in the wake of their UFC 276 showdown, which “Poatan” won by first-round knockout. The Brazilian would eventually jump to light heavyweight, where he currently holds a 5-0 record with four knockouts.
“To me, it seems risky for Alex to go all the way to Australia knowing everything that goes into a training camp and how hard that travel can be on your body when you’re preparing to continue to defend your world championship,” Cormier continued. “So how strong is that bond? How much does Sean Strickland now mean to Alex Pereira for him to take that risk? Because trust me, it is a risk.”
We’ll find out in just over a month.
