Alex Pereira is beginning to seem like the UFC’s most unstoppable power, as Jiří Procházka can as soon as once more testify.
The UFC gentle heavyweight champion defended his belt in opposition to the previous title-holder with a brutal leg kick to the top, getting the KO with a number of extra blows on the bottom and leaving Procházka barely acutely aware after the struggle was referred to as.
It was a repeat of the ending of the primary spherical, when Pereira leveled Procházka with a tough left with an excellent second remaining. Had there been quite a lot of seconds left, the struggle would have been over then and there.
The 2 fighters entered the bout with some reasonably odd drama. In an interview the week of the struggle, Procházka claimed Pereira obtained an unfair benefit by “magic,” or reasonably 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 recognized for his or her private gravity, walked in and stared one another down for almost 5 minutes earlier than the struggle.
It’s now trying like 2024 might be remembered as Pereira’s 12 months. He landed the principle occasion on the promotion’s stacked UFC 300 card and lived up-to-the-minute 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 fundamental occasion in opposition to Michael Chandler attributable to a damaged pinky toe. Regardless of the end result, Pereira would have obtained appreciation from UFC president Dana White. However to defend his belt in emphatic vogue in opposition to probably the most harmful fighters within the division, that’s stuff that makes you a better form of champion.
The query now’s 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 mentioned by an interpreter he intends to maneuver as much as heavyweight, with an opportunity at turning into the UFC’s first three-division champion.
“I feel that is in my future. I mentioned that the final time I used to be right here. I mentioned it loads, 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 struggle ended probably the most logistically chaotic playing cards in UFC historical past, by which the co-main occasion needed to be reworked 4 totally different occasions. The results of that struggle was Diego Lopes defeating Dan Ige, who stepped in on 4 hours’ discover.
This is how each struggle performed out through Yahoo Sports activities:
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