Alex
Pereira has a knack for turning former foes into friends.
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Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil
Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC 307
on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Pereira
recently uploaded footage of his first week of training in Utah,
where former kickboxing foe Yousri
Belgaroui was in his camp. Belgaroui defeated Pereira via
unanimous decision in their first Glory kickboxing matchup, while
the Brazilian exacted revenge via knockout the next two times they
fought.
However, Belgaroui isn’t the only former foe joining Pereira’s camp
leading up to UFC 307. The champ revealed that Sean
Strickland, whom he knocked out in 2022, will also be joining
him next week. Strickland has openly acknowledged Pereira’s power
multiple times since the loss and has also seemingly developed a
camaraderie with “Poatan.” Strickland will be joining Pereira’s
team, which includes the likes of his sister, Aline
Pereira, UFC middleweight Cesar
Almeida and coaches Plinio Cruz
and Glover
Teixeira. Strickland, who is known for his conditioning, could
be a valuable addition to Pereira’s camp for a fight which takes
place at an elevation of more than 4,000 feet.
Strickland also has history with Rountree, who was previously a
teammate at Xtreme Couture. Strickland initially mocked Rountree
for an emotional post-fight interview after a win over Karl
Roberson in March 2022. Strickland has since taken multiple
digs at “The War Horse,” calling him out for his behavior in the gym in
addition to labeling him a “special needs adult.”
Someone brought up my Roundtree interaction.
I use to think he was just a male feminist who was in a cult ao
naturally I made fun of him because it was the right thing to
do…In hindsight I think he might be special needs and is a victim.
Maybe he needs help?#saveroundtree— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA)
July 23, 2023
Rountree is on a five-fight winning streak that includes four
finishes. Meanwhile, Pereira has defended his throne twice since
winning it against Jiri
Prochazka, most recently via TKO in a rematch against “BJP” at
UFC 303 this past June.