Sean Strickland believes that Alex Pereira won’t be returning to the middleweight division anytime soon.
After Dricus du Plessis’ victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira issued a warning to du Plessis, stating that he is considering moving back down to the 185-pound weight class for one last fight.
However, Strickland, who was defeated by Pereira at UFC 276 and is expected to face du Plessis in a rematch, doubts that Pereira will make the drop back down to middleweight.
Strickland shared his thoughts with ESPN, saying, “Alex’s size and strength make it unlikely for him to go back down to 185. Once you move up in weight, the idea of cutting back down can be extremely challenging.”
He added, “I believe Alex should face [du Plessis] at 205 pounds without hesitation.”
Pereira is set to defend his title against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City.
Strickland also pointed out the difficulties Pereira faced during his last middleweight cut, emphasizing that Pereira appeared physically drained and unhealthy.
He recounted, “I saw Alex before his last middleweight fight, and he looked extremely depleted. It was clear that cutting to 185 was taking a toll on him.”
Strickland concluded, “I believe Pereira would gladly face [du Plessis] at 205 pounds, but the idea of dropping back down to 185 seems unlikely. And that works in our favor.”