A middleweight clash at UFC 277 between Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira has reportedly been verbally agreed to.
The news of a matchup between the fifth-ranked Strickland and Octagon newbie Pereira was first reported by ESPN UFC insider Brett Okamoto on Saturday.
“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,” he tweeted.
Sean Strickland vs Alex Pereira agreed to for UFC 277 in July
Without a doubt, Strickland vs Pereira will get UFC fans very excited. “Tarzan” has been one of the hottest fighters in the promotion’s middleweight division. He is in the midst of a six-fight win streak, and posted main event victories in his last two outings. The 31-year-old is an action fighter that has given opponents problems with his heavy output and high-pressure style.
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However, the bout is a major risk for Strickland (25-3). Many observers of the sport feel he is one more win away from landing a championship opportunity against middleweight king Israel Adesanya. It could even be argued he is worthy of a title shot now. In facing the unranked Brazilian he puts himself in a lose-lose scenario where a defeat could be extremely damaging for his title aspirations.
Pereira (5-1) is a former Kickboxing star who has transitioned into MMA full-time. He made his second appearance in the Octagon two weeks ago when he beat Bruno Silva by unanimous decision. Along with his five-fight win streak, many cage fighting fans know him as the only man to hand Adesanya a knockout loss in Kickboxing.
Adesanya’s next opponent has not yet been announced. However, the expectation is he will defend his title for a fifth time at some point this summer against Jared Cannonier. “The Gorilla” has won five of his last six with his only defeat coming by unanimous decision to Adesanya’s most recent challenger, and former champion, Robert Whittaker.
Adesanya vs Cannonier on the same card as Strickland vs Pereira could be a possibility.