“I hate sparring him!” Sean Strickland, who loves sparring, admits almost getting knocked out by Alex Pereira

Sean Strickland talks about the negative aspects of sparring with the current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

“I hate sparring him!” Sean Strickland, who loves sparring, admits almost getting knocked out by Alex Pereira

Sean Strickland talks about his and Alex Pereira's sparring sessions (Image via Imago)

The friendship between Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira has often buzzed all over the internet. Most recently, as they often do, both high-level UFC fighters went in for a training session together. However, this time, Strickland seemingly stated why he is not too fond of training alongside Pereira, especially regarding sparring.

The UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira, is scheduled to defend his title against Khalil Rountree this weekend. His coach, Plinio Cruz, has pushed him through intense training sessions to improve his skills. Interestingly, former UFC middleweight champ Sean Strickland has also joined in to help Pereira. During one of their sparring sessions, Strickland talked about the threat that ’Poatan’ poses.

I felt like I did really well with (Alex Pereira), but he would’ve knocked me out right there. That’s why I hate sparring him. When I feel like I’m doing good… he just f*cking hits me with some sh*t.

Sean Strickland on Alex Pereira official YouTube channel

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time ’Tarzan’ has sparked a discussion about Pereira’s exceptional MMA skills. In fact, Strickland recently admitted that Pereira could easily break his chin and knock him out in a fight, similar to when they fought a few years ago. The fighters faced each other back in UFC 276, and Pereira decisively defeated Strickland with a powerful left hook.

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Since then, both of them sparked an intriguing friendship between the two. As such, Strickland and Pereira started training together to achieve greater goals. Interestingly, under Poatan’s guidance, the Tarzan defeated Israel Adesanya and wore the UFC middleweight crown for a brief moment. The internet often buzzed around their encounters, and the same thing happened with one of Strickland’s recent antics.

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Alex Pereira laughs off at Sean Strickland’s failure to ride a scooter properly

In recent years, UFC fighters have shared numerous lighthearted moments. Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira have been drawing a lot of attention due to their off-the-cage antics. One such incident occurred outside Pereira’s gym, where Strickland arrived on an electric scooter. He appeared to take a spill at the gym’s entrance.

Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland during a training session
Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland during a training session (Image via Instagram)

Nina Marie Danielle, a popular UFC content creator and a close friend of Strickland and Pereira, was on hand to capture the moment. She even recorded the UFC light heavyweight champion emerging from the gym and reacting to the incident. Pereira responded to Strickland’s tumble with a three-word quip, “My sparring partner,” as he laughed off the incident.

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Speaking of their UFC careers, Pereira will be fighting Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in Utah this weekend. Meanwhile, Strickland is seeking a rematch against Dricus Du Plessis following his recent victory over Paulo Costa. Amidst that, Tarzan is also vouching for the Brazilian to win against Rountree.