Alex Pereira solidified his status as an all-time great by delivering a stunning knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303, defending his title and hinting at future ambitions in the heavyweight division.
Alex Pereira is quickly rocketing up the ladder of all-time greats. He delivered another jaw-dropping knockout to defend his title in the UFC 303 main event.
Despite taking the fight on short notice to replace an injured Conor McGregor, Pereira looked like he just endured a 10-week training camp. He surgically dissected Jiri Prochazka on the feet.
Pereira showed off all of his various weapons. From some of the nastiest leg kicks in the sport to arguably the most powerful hands in the UFC.
He nearly ended the fight at the end of the first round after blasting Prochazka with a left hook. Instead, he finished with a highlight-reel head kick as soon as the second round began.
Another stunning performance. Pereira remains champion with a knockout just 13 seconds into the second frame, ending Prochazka’s night at UFC 303.
“It was great,” Pereira said of the win. “I was saying all week, I was going to come out here and be victorious.”
“I don’t know what the next step is,” he added. “I’m taking these opportunities. Everything that’s coming my way is positive.”
Sadly, Prochazka’s best efforts didn’t matter. He opened with a series of stance switches hoping to protect his legs from Pereira’s damaging kicks.
However, Pereira still chipped away with several kicks connecting with a sickening thud. That opened his ability to go back up top to Prochazka’s head.
His signature left hook followed a jab that stabbed at Prochakza from the outside. With just seconds remaining in round one, Pereira uncorked another stiff left hook directly to Prochazka’s jaw.
Prochazka smiled as he rose but stumbled back to his corner trying to recover during the one-minute break. In the end, it didn’t matter.
As soon as round two started, Pereira launched a kick that bounced off Prochazka’s head sending him crashing down. Some complained about an early stoppage in their first fight; this time referee Herb Dean allowed more action before stepping in.
Dean finally rescued Prochazka from further harm after more punches from Pereira. Another unbelievable performance for Pereira in his UFC career filled with them.
After conquering two divisions quickly, Pereira might have designs on a third championship soon. “I think that’s in my future,” he said about potentially moving to heavyweight.
“I said that last time I was here,” he continued, “but there wasn’t much interest from the organization.” Still hopeful: “I’m here and available.”
“I think fans have a lot of say,” he concluded. “If they want it, it might be inevitable.”