Alex Pereira is beginning to appear to be the UFC’s most unstoppable power, as Jiří Procházka can as soon as once more testify.
The UFC mild heavyweight champion defended his belt towards the previous title-holder with a brutal leg kick to the pinnacle, getting the KO with just a few extra blows on the bottom and leaving Procházka barely acutely aware after the battle was known as.
It was a repeat of the ending of the primary spherical, when Pereira leveled Procházka with a tough left with a great second remaining. Had there been various seconds left, the battle would have been over then and there.
The 2 fighters entered the bout with some slightly odd drama. In an interview the week of the battle, Procházka claimed Pereira acquired an unfair benefit via “magic,” or slightly the champion’s pre-fight rituals which contact on his indigenous heritage.
He requested Pereira not use such rituals, which Pereira emphatically declined. It was with that historical past the 2 males, each identified for his or her private gravity, walked in and stared one another down for practically 5 minutes earlier than the battle.
It’s now wanting like 2024 shall be remembered as Pereira’s yr. He landed the primary occasion on the promotion’s stacked UFC 300 card and lived up to date with a first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill, which might have been the second of the evening had it not been for Max Holloway going berserker.
In UFC 303, Pereira and Procházka stepped in on two-and-a-half weeks’ discover after Conor McGregor withdrew from the beforehand scheduled principal occasion towards Michael Chandler attributable to a damaged pinky toe. Regardless of the result, Pereira would have acquired appreciation from UFC president Dana White. However to defend his belt in emphatic trend towards some of the harmful fighters within the division, that’s stuff that makes you the next type of champion.
The query now could be what’s subsequent for Pereira, who has taken over a beforehand chaotic division with wins over three former champs in Procházka, Hill and Jan Blachowicz. He might nonetheless face Magomed Ankalaev who has an excellent argument that he was robbed of the belt in a controversial draw with Blachowicz, however he additionally stated via an interpreter he intends to maneuver as much as heavyweight, with an opportunity at changing into the UFC’s first three-division champion.
“I feel that is in my future. I stated that the final time I used to be right here. I stated it so much, there did not appear to be an excessive amount of curiosity within the group, however I am right here, I am obtainable and I do suppose that is in my future.”
The battle ended some of the logistically chaotic playing cards in UFC historical past, wherein the co-main occasion needed to be reworked 4 completely different occasions. The results of that battle was Diego Lopes defeating Dan Ige, who stepped in on 4 hours’ discover.
Here is how each battle performed out by way of Yahoo Sports activities:
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