Sean Strickland doubts Alex Pereira will drop back to middleweight to fight Dricus du Plessis, citing Pereira’s difficult weight cuts and suggesting a bout at light heavyweight instead.
Sean Strickland doesn’t see his former opponent going back down to middleweight. Following Dricus du Plessis’ successful title defense over Israel Adesanya this past Saturday at UFC 305, current light heavyweight champion — and former middleweight champ — Alex Pereira sent a warning to du Plessis, declaring he was “coming down to 185 one more time.”
Strickland, who was knocked out by Pereira at UFC 276 and is expected to be du Plessis’ next opponent in a rematch, doesn’t see “Poatan” making the drop back down. “Alex’s big ass ain’t going back down to 185, dude,” Strickland told ESPN. “As a welterweight that moved up to 185, once you get used to that weight class, the thought of going back down sounds f*cking miserable.”
“I think Alex should fight [du Plessis] at 205 [pounds] any day of the week.” Pereira has his next fight booked as he’s scheduled to defend his title against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City.
As far as Strickland’s opinion on Pereira attempting to go back down to 185 pounds, he cites Pereira’s final middleweight cut — one he got to see portions of firsthand — as a big roadblock. “I remember seeing Alex for his last fight [at 185 pounds] in the back room, and dude, he looked like f*cking death,” Strickland said.
“Like, when he last [cut to] middleweight, I walked through to say hi to him, and dude, he just looked like f*cking death, like to the point where I’m like, ‘Man, this ain’t good for you, dude. Go up.’” So I think at 205 he’d [fight du Plessis] in a heartbeat, but [185] man, I can’t see him doing that. Luckily for us.”