SUMMARY
- Alex Pereira lost his MMA debut to Quemuel Ottoni by a 3rd round rear naked choke
- Jiri Prochazka's relentless pressure will be the X factor against Alex Pereira at UFC 295
Alex Pereira takes on Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 295. This will be the 4th former or current UFC champion who will try to beat Poatan in the UFC octagon.
So far only Israel Adesanya has been able to beat Alex Pereira in UFC. However, it was a closely contested fight until Adesanya landed the final blows. Alex Pereira effortlessly knocked out Sean Strickland and edged out a decision win against the former light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz.
Alex Pereira’s first MMA loss
However, Alex Pereira had an awful start to his MMA career, losing his first fight by submission. Pereira fought Quemuel Ottoni in Jungle Fight on his MMA debut. Despite a valiant effort, he suffered his first MMA defeat. And there are some crucial insights Jiri Prochazka can take from this fight to put Alex Pereira in trouble.
Even though Alex Pereira tapped to a rear naked choke in round 3 against Quemuel Ottoni he did show impressive ground game in his debut fight. He took down Ottoni in round 1 and attempted an arm bar. Even in rounds 2 and 3, Pereira attempted guillotine but did not succeed to get the finish.
Most fans believe that wrestling will be the key for Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. However, taking down Pereira and controlling him on the ground will not be easy for Prochazka despite his impressive resume outside of UFC.
Quemuel Ottoni put on a relentless pressure, which became the biggest factor in his win against Pereira. Even in round 2 when Ottoni traded strikes with the Glory kickboxing champion and had a lot of success. Ottoni forced Pereira to retreat and had him in trouble against the cage in round 2.
Jiri Prochazka’s path to victory against Alex Pereira
Jiri Prochazka is notorious for his pressure and unorthodox striking. Despite his kickboxing experience, Pereira will struggle against Prochazka’s fighting style.
The former light heavyweight champion’s relentless pressure was a crucial reason why he was able to overwhelm Dominic Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir. Prochazka can also avoid Pereira’s devastating leg kicks with his overwhelming striking.
Now, Prochazka’s striking defense will be a concern against Pereira. The Czech fighter did find himself in trouble in striking exchanges against all of his UFC opponents, However, that’s what makes him special. He brings chaos into the octagon and finds a way to win.
Mixing in takedowns and testing Pereira’s ground game will help Prochazka immensely in the fight. However, it will be his pressure that can land Pereira in serious trouble despite his striking prowess.
What do you think about the light heavyweight matchup? Can Jiri Prochazka win back his UFC title?