Sean Strickland Reacts to the Prediction for Khalil Rountree Jr. Against Alex Pereira at UFC 307
The fans of UFC can’t wait as in the offing is UFC champion, Alex Pereira clashing with challenger Khalil Rountree Jr at UFC 307. As ruffling feathers in the football world in which it has caused a furor, Pereira has come out to put it on record to state that he is in no way loosening up about his challenger. Just as that long awaited encounter was closing, former middleweight champion, Sean Strickland tried to speculate what Rountree might bring on the mat stating the challenger would be a little short on some “tools in the tool kit” to take down Pereira.
A Real Shocking Matchup: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.
This was one of those news pieces that shocked most people in the UFC circles with the announcement of the fight between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. Fans and analysts had been visualizing an upcoming encounter between Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev, a big grappler creating waves in the light heavyweight division. However, Ankalaev was booked against Aleksandar Rakić, while Rountree Jr got the chance to test Pereira’s skills.
Though was a surprise, it seems that Pereira and the UFC president Dana White are very excited about this fight. As Pereira himself says, the fight with Ankalaev might not have been so good of a style for him. As long as Ankalaev preferred grappling, the fight may turn out to be a ground battle rather than a sizzling stand-up, whereas Rountree Jr’s striking style promises fans to be an exciting stand-up contest.
Sean Strickland breaks down Rountree’s chances
On the fight, Sean Strickland was training with champion Alex Pereira for UFC 307 when he commented on the fight. Video Shows the sparring of Strickland with Pereira as displayed by Championship Rounds, which reveals the preparation which the champion engaged in. Then, according to Strickland, since Rountree Jr is a very dangerous striker, he might not possess all-rounded skills that would see him take Pereira down.
“I don’t think he’s got the tools in the toolbox to beat Alex,” said Strickland in praising Pereira further on how he has evolved and adapted himself to fly up the rankings of the UFC. Pereira won titles in two weight divisions over the last three years and he has managed to consolidate his status among the best of the UFC. From what Strickland said, it’s somehow sending a hint that getting rid of Pereira, who is both a great technical ability and punches one of the hardest, would need more than Rountree’s knock-out ability.
Preparation and Ascension of Alex Pereira to UFC
That is not an easy thing for a man to do, like Alex Pereira has done from the lowest stars, and yet always called “Poatan” by the Brazilian, since his landing in the UFC after having completed his run in kickboxing. Pereira is one of the most feared fighters in this company with champion belts both in middleweight and light heavyweight, blessed with signature power and precision in finishing off opponents, leading to many devastating knockouts. His toughness is quite impressive in that he likes to keep it at a furious pace of fighting.
He is coming off this weekend’s contest as his third of the year having lost to Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka. Pereira made both those contests look incredibly easy, knocking each man out in rounds, clearly demonstrating a knockout force and technical striking skill, so he enters this bout against Rountree as a huge favorite. However, Pereira does not joke with his preparation as he is recruiting some of the greatest training partners for the bout, among them Sean Strickland.
The Strickland training video really shows Pereira is going all the way with his fight. Both of the opponents train by doing some light sparring but then get serious by punching and kicking the opponent. While Pereira has huge success in his strikes, the training video by Strickland really makes sure he does his part from all angles and is at the top of the division.
Khalil Rountree Jr.: The Menace
Though Pereira is the man everyone will be banking on, Khalil Rountree Jr. is no man to be taken lightly. Rountree has created quite the reputation with his brutish and relentless approach to opponents. He is known for very good kicking ability and knockouts with some of the epic finishes left in UFC history. His striking background is almost on par with Pereira’s and can be quite a fearful opponent on his feet.
The largest wins Rountree has come over are against strikers such as Eryk Anders and Gökhan Saki, where his raw power was shown against him fully. Against Alex Pereira, Rountree will look to use his explosiveness and unorthodox striking to keep the champion off balance. However, as Sean Strickland put out: if this fight does not go off as planned for Rountree, his night may be in great trouble. While he has all the tools to beat Pereira, Rountree will have to be close to perfect if he is to emerge victorious.
Eye on the Title
Outside of Pereira and Rountree Jr., Magomed Ankalaev is not far from the title. Now a top grappler and in his own right a formidable striker, the first instinct may have been perhaps to at least look at Ankalaev as the best possible candidate to lay claim to Pereira’s title. But now that Ankalaev steps out to face Aleksandar Rakić everything changes. Yet Ankalaev has specifically said he still looks at Pereira and Pereira for a fight for the light heavyweight belt.
Recent interview: Ankalaev believes he’s going to defeat Rakić and then hopefully look for Pereira’s title if the latter can hold it. The fight between Ankalaev and Pereira is still in high possibilities. Throw this suspense factor to this series inside the light heavyweight division.
Conclusion: High stakes, battle awaits
This was what seemed to take place as Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree Jr. were set to embark on an electric, hard-hitting contest. These fighters have proven their capabilities in front of the striking master and this is expected to be a fantastic stand-up brawl. Pereira is on a momentum wave in UFC due to his spectacular ascension, wherein he would try to secure his legacy by collecting another defense. While Rountree Jr. hopes to be part of the record books and return the favor by claiming the UFC light heavyweight belt, his ultimate focus is on future second-round knockout heroes.
Although Sean Strickland made quite a few public declarations stating that Rountree is not going to win, the fact of things remains as in this sport, anything can happen. So with the amount of anxiety, fans who love this sport are willing to wait and witness the closing of one of the stunning light heavyweight title fights of this year, as it is being held until UFC 307.
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