Legendary Blended Martial Arts coach Ray Longo believes Alex Pereira isn’t nicely certified for a possible heavyweight rebound efficiency.
Former two-division UFC champion Alex Pereira will return to the Octagon in December in opposition to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335. After a disastrous heavyweight debut at UFC Freedom 250, Pereira will look to earn a possible title shot in opposition to the battle-tested Pavlovich in a five-round co-headliner.
Pereira’s heavyweight return will come six months after a TKO loss to Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title on the White Home. He vacated the UFC mild heavyweight title earlier this yr to make the full-time transfer to the heavyweight division.
Pereira will look so as to add one other highlight-reel efficiency to his resume and earn his first heavyweight win. Regardless of his robust stature and ability set, a legendary coach believes Pereira doesn’t have the correct body to compete with the elite heavyweights.
Ray Longo: Alex Pereira too small to compete with elite UFC heavyweights
Throughout a current look on the Anik & Florian podcast, well-renowned coach Ray Longo shared a brutally trustworthy analysis of Pereira’s heavyweight future.
“I actually love him as a fighter, however I feel it possibly takes a bit of little bit of an eye fixed—neglect the pinnacle, the unlawful photographs, they had been horrible—however I noticed nothing earlier than that lets me consider that he might beat him in a rematch,” Longo stated of Pereira.
“I simply noticed the dimensions distinction, the way in which he was transferring. Alex, it’s Bobby Inexperienced-esque. He’s obtained the ability, however he retains his arms down. While you get with these larger guys now, can he take the ability coming again is the issue since you even watch his sparring; it’s not like he’s a man that doesn’t get hit. He likes to get hit and are available again.
“These guys, I feel, is likely to be too huge,” Longo continued on Pereira. “They’re actually, actually huge guys. I don’t know. We’ll see how he does with Sergei, however I feel that’s going to be a troublesome combat, too, as a result of the way in which his type is, I don’t suppose he can afford to get hit by these guys. At 185, huge distinction. 250, I don’t know.” (h/t MMA Preventing)
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