MMA Preview – Sean Strickland vs Alex Pereira at UFC 276
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SEAN STRICKLAND VS ALEX PEREIRA FACTS
When is UFC 276? Sunday 3rd July, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC 276? T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC 276? Click here to buy tickets for UFC 276
What channel is UFC 276 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC 276? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
SEAN STRICKLAND VS ALEX PEREIRA LOWDOWN
Sean Strickland (25-3) is on fire right now and has gradually climbed the ranks towards number one contender status after 15 UFC fights. The turning point came when he moved up to middleweight. He made the move after taking two years out recovering from a motorbike accident and has since strung five impressive wins together to extend his streak to six. He outpointed Jack Marshman (2020), TKO’d Brendan Allen (2020), earnt unanimous decisions over Krzysztof Jotko and Uriah Hall (2021) and is coming off a closer split decision over Jack Hermansson back in February.
The kickboxing sensation Alex Pereira (5-1) has been thrown right into the mix after just two UFC fights. The UFC are fast tracking him to take on his old foe and champion Israel Adesanya, but it remains to be seen whether he can hang with the upper echelon in MMA. After three knockout wins, he made his UFC debut against Andrea Michailidis (2021) and smoked him with a flying knee following that up with a unanimous decision over the dangerous striker and jiu-jitsu ace Bruno Silva (2022).
SEAN STRICKLAND VS ALEX PEREIRA PREDICTION
There is no doubting Pereira is one of the best strikers on the roster, but he has enjoyed very favourable matchups in his short MMA career so far and this is his toughest assignment by a distance. Strickland will be the most technical striker he has faced in MMA and the best wrestler.
If this stays on the feet, Strickland is good enough to keep it competitive, but you would still have to back the kickboxer. However, if Strickland mixes in some grappling, this will be very interesting. He is not known for his wrestling, but it could be enough to subdue Pereira as long as he avoids getting clipped by one of the Brazilian’s missiles as he shoots in.
The hours Pereira has spent training with his friend and former light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira is the perfect preparation. He will be confident he can fend off any takedown attempts and carry out business as usual on the feet.
However, if Strickland can close the distance, he can tie Pereira up or inflict damage in the pocket with his boxing. If this goes into the third round, his volume and cardio can also make Pereira wilt so the underdog has visible paths to victory here and holds a lot of value.
All those paths can close with one strike and unless Strickland can close the distance the more likely that will happen. He will boast a three-inch height, arm and leg reach advantage and is lethal at range with all eight of his weapons.
A Pereira knockout or a Strickland decision is most likely here especially if Strickland decides to wrestle with a submission not out the question.
Prediction: Strickland via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Strickland via Decision
