Previous opponents change into allies at UFC 297 with gentle heavyweight champion Alex Pereira set to nook middleweight king Sean Strickland in his title protection in opposition to Dricus du Plessis.
Sources near Strickland’s camp confirmed the information to MMA Preventing on Saturday following an preliminary report from ESPN.
After all, Pereira earned his personal shot on the UFC middleweight title after he knocked out Strickland again at UFC 276 in 2022. The Brazilian went onto change into champion with a knockout over longtime rival Israel Adesanya.
Now lower than two years later, Pereira has modified divisions and he now serves because the 205-pound champion following a end in opposition to Jiri Prochazka this previous December. With middleweight behind him, Pereira now appears to assist Strickland within the first protection of his belt after he turned champion final September.
Pereira joins a training employees that additionally contains Xtreme Couture head coach and lead cornerman Eric Nicksick, who helped lead Strickland to a surprising win over Adesanya to change into champion.
After recreation planning and combating one another, Pereira now calls Strickland a buddy as he prepares to stroll to the cage with him on Saturday in an try at hand du Plessis his first loss within the UFC.
