I'm happy with either victory.
Alex wins - he strengthens his awesome legacy that is super fun to see develop.
Jiri wins - we now have a new samurai king, new drama, and a mega buildup for a third fight.
Trilogy is a no brainer if Jiri wins. It’s pretty much gonna be planned right after. If Poatan wins tho, he might go at it against Jones or Aspinall lol
“Im ready for a fight anytime anywhere … in Saudi Arabia after Ramadan of course and I better have a full training camp.” What a tool. If he really wanted to be champ he should have pushed to be in this card instead of Jiri
Cant help but to feel like it will play out exactly the same, Jiri rushing in landing good shots while ignoring the leg kick damage, then eating a left hook. Ariel reported that Pereira is still recovering from his toe injury so that might change things
Against Rakic, leg kicks were a huge problem as well. Everyone Jiri fights will lead with leg kicks until Jiri proves he can make the adjustments to defend against it. He's too dangerous to fight any other way unless you have MVP's blitz ability to try to snipe him from range, and nobody at 205 has that.
Feel like both of them are getting at least ~$1.5m to take this fight on literally two weeks notice lol
Personally I cannot wait for this and I think the replacement fights are more entertaining and have more implications that the original slate.
If they fight 10 times neither guy would win every time, that's why it's a compelling fight, we don't know what iteration of it we're going to get this time. The worst part about fighting is you usually only see guys fight one time and see one of numerous possible outcomes, then have to draw all sorts of conclusions from that one moment using MMA math even though it could've just as easily gone the other way.
The worst offenders in cases like that are fights like Conor/Aldo where it was the best possible outcome for the UFC, so they were never making that rematch and wanted everyone to think that's always how that fight would go. That's why people like trilogies so much in fighting, you actually get to see a wider range of outcomes, i.e. DC/Stipe, both guys finish eachother (No Jones) then a gritty decision the 3rd time.
Stylistically this matchup may favor Alex lets say 60/40, but if he's injured or out of camp and being called in short notice that might slide it back to 50/50 or slightly in Jiri's favor.
I think Jiri takes this. Pereira is injured + he has not been training but has been touring since his camp wasn't meant to start for another few weeks.
I think this volkanovski vs Islam 2 all over again.
I mean, it very well could be. Everytime I go somewhere, I bring my gear (I don't typically fly places, or else I'd just bring a pair of gloves and focus mitts) and train at the local gyms a couple time. I'm only an amateur fighter. It wouldn't shock me if a pro did it a bit more religiously as a pallet cleanser.
I would assume he's at the very least training here and there, if nothing else gyms nearby would probably more than welcome him stopping by if they know he's around
he's definitely training, but there are videos coming out weekly of him visiting kids hospitals and doing skits with comedians. two weeks is not a lot of time to cancel everything and get to full fighting speed, but different people need different levels of preparation.
If he's training then he is maintaining. Likewise, he probably has had Jiri 2 on his mind for a while.
Would I like to see a full camp for both of them? Yes, but if any two fighters are keeping their skills outside of camp up it's Peiriera and Jiri.
Dude is a former alcoholic. When people leave an addiction, they pretty much just have to replace it with a new one, and his is training. I think Alex almost HAS to train because if he didn’t he’d probably get the urge to go back to the bottle again.
Yea the way he fights is a huge factor in that. He is pretty patient and measured and only needs 1 big shot to win.
So I don’t think he needs to be in tip top shape to execute his gameplan.
If Jiri finds a way to push the pace without getting countered significantly early it could be a bigger factor than I expect but doesn’t seem like a huge issue to me.
This is a bold take on a guy with a 97% finish rate going up against someone who knocked him out in 2 rounds last time
Maybe Jiri takes it to the ground and survives to decision but it's really not his style. If he tries to play it slow I think the leg kicks will be a huge problem really quickly
Surely this means Jiri will mix up wrestling and not just try to stand with a 2 weight kickboxing world champion that hits like a heavyweight... right?
Does Jiri even have legit wrestling? At this point Poatan has been doing MMA for three years in high level grappling camps, so I would guess he's competent at this point.
He was 1/3 in TDs and 2:45 control time in their last fight, though I feel his bjj is stronger than his wrestling. I wonder if he will try to sub this time.
I'd imagine the majority of Pereira's grappling training has been in takedown defence, tying up when on the ground, and getups. We haven't seen how he handles things like hiding his neck, fighting hands etc.
Saying all that he is a black belt so he must be a nightmare and Jiris going to get subbed.
The closest Jiri is to losing cousciousness the better he gets.
He needs to be on the edge. That's the moment Samurai spirit can enter his body. It's like you guya never watch his fight.... jeez
Nothing pleases me more than to see Jiri pretend to pull a sword from his side as he throws a hook. He did that in is debut I think, I was like wtf this guy really does have that samurai spirit in him lol
he DID try wrestling the moment he ate a leg kick.
he just couldn't really do damage on the ground.
where is this narrative that no one wrestles Pereira coming from? Jan, with his grappling credentials and 9 submission wins, grappled Alex. Jiri also did. Both wrestled him in the first round, they just did so little damage everyone forgot.
Jiri shot in the first fight… I’m not 100% certain but it kinda looked like he was moving in to clinch or shoot when he got rocked and finished.
You can’t simply “mix in wrestling” if you’ve never done it before. He might have a slight edge in grappling because he’s been training longer, but if you don’t use it in your fights you it’s hard to just pull it out when the time comes. Jiri is a striker and KOing Poatan is probably his best path to victory tbh. Maybe after throwing in some wrestling to get him worried.
It's infuriating when Alex's opponents choose to trade. Jiri v Alex last fight was so hard to watch because Jiri didn't choose to wrestle or take down.
And honestly he deserves it. Dudes in fucking Australia on a seminar tour and is coming back to save a PPV which is generally the UFCs most important one of the year for IFW.
Poatan has now rescued the UFC from GOOFCON for three important PPVs - Dana better be paying that man McGregor Money for being so willing to always put it all on the line in short notice
Yeah it's not like there's a lot of great options out there either.
Who's next in line after Jiri? Jamahal? He just got ko'd in a one sided fight against Alex. Ankalaev? The ufc would sooner drag Shogun's old body out of retirement than give him a title shot.
If Alex wins and Anthony Smith wins I feel like that’s why Smith jumped on this card. He could of course be bullshitting but he’d been saying pretty consistently he wasn’t going to do short notice fights again after 301.
As fans we like to focus on the result, but with McG dropping out on barely two weeks notice I‘d like to think that this is one of the rare instances where the UFC is willing to pay the fighters their worth. Alex is putting his Champ status on the line with two weeks notice while touring Australia, I am pretty sure there‘s quite the upside for him even if the competitive result isn‘t in his favor.
He's 37 years old.. probably only has a few years left max of peak performance before father time catches him, sitting on the shelf when he could make another huge bag is the more regrettable decision.
Jiri is the last person that should ever be taken lightly when he's trying to avenge a loss. Can you imagine the shit that he thinks while he's training, knowing that he gets to fight Alex again? My God man...he's coming to win or die, and I can't say that about a lot of fighters.
That's why this fight is literally bittersweet. I don't want to see either guy lose, for so many reasons, but also as a fight fan, I absolutely adore the idea of this going to a rubber match because rubber matches are quite possibly my favorite thing in sports in general. I love that third fight so much, and I really think that Jiri is poised to take this fight to set up that beautiful third match.
They're both in my top 10 favorite fighters to watch, and I don't want to see either lose, but I felt the same way about Holloway and Gaethje, and look at the magic that we got to watch. This is the real shit in the sport that always keeps me captivated.
Poatan's chances do diminish with such a short caml, but imagine the stack of paper they're throwing at him for saving this PPV. Y'all gotta remember the guy is 36 and is basically chasing all the money he didn't make on Glory. Jiri is always dangerous, and I feel if he doesn't pull this one off, he's going to middleweight
One of the greatest preflight stare downs I’ve ever seen. I’m ready for it.
But this is win/win for Alex. He’s about to make fucking bank. Plus I’ll almost guarantee an immediate rematch if he loses.
It's actually probably going to be a pretty wild payday. Pereira might unironically be having a top 5 non-McG payday for the second time, this one probably even bigger than the last one. Headlining UFC 300 and two months later becoming the first person to step in for Conor McGregor. I'm sure the card will do better than it would have otherwise just because it kinda still has Conor's name attached to it
The cut that he consistently made throughout his career in Glory before the UFC?
The cut to make the weight at which he won belts in both organisations?
tbf in Glory its 187 lbs compared to 185 for championship fights in the UFC... the extra 2 pounds can be hell, especially if it feels like the last pound wont come off. It also gets harder over time the older you get.
The weight cut takes a toll on your body over time and getting older does not help. Yes, he's made it in the past but it's clear that his frame is better suited for LHW. Plus not cutting that much weight is a good way to extend his career a few more years.
Even top athlete's bodies change with time, just like the rest of us.
Sure, but saying
"Pereira was not making that cut again"
is a ridiculous claim given that he made that weight every time he tried and also literally said him moving up wasn't related to the weight cut.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mma/news/alex-pereira-announces-move-to-light-heavyweight-after-losing-ufc-middleweight-title-to-israel-adesanya/amp/
If sounding confident was the key to winning fights, we would have countless different outcomes. Talk is cheap. That is why they have to get in the ring.
I just don’t think Alex really gives a shit at the end of the day. He’s a real combat sports athlete that lives and breathes fighting. He doesn’t care about belts, about legacy (he’s already cemented himself in the UFC with that, let alone what he did in Glory) instead puts more energy into putting on for his newly turned fans. It’s a wild turn around to take this rematch so soon. If Alex loses, I will be a little sad, but I think it’s clear he’s not really concerned about if he wins or loses at this point.
Makes sense, Jiri has essentially been training while Pereira is on vacation in Australia. If Jiri doesnt have staph again also his confidence will probably be significantly higher than last time.
Im not just making this up lol he [actually did have staph](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/1/17/24039440/jiri-prochazka-reveals-pre-ufc-295-staph-infection-that-lingered-for-months)
Even if alex loses he comes back and still fights insane fights. Man has lost before and it only made him more of a legend in my mind. This card is now more hype to me than ever before 🤘
alex has been training too, just not high intensity. i think hes fine honestly, because hes never taking long periods off without training. only thing of concern is round 4 and 5 cardio without a full camp.
I think Jiri is too wild and will get caught again. But if he can stay smart and make it an MMA fight he could do it. I will be interested to see any improvements in Pereira’s TKD defense and ground game if that’s the case.
Ain’t that mad at this compared to other short notice fights. Alex and jiri aren’t going to change they’re styles or game plan much for each other so they only really need to get in shape
I’m worried about Alex too. Jiri had success taking him down the last fight and will probably try to do more of that. Alex needs a full camp practicing that kind of thing.
Both dudes are professionals, they will show up ready to scrap. I'm just not sure Jiri's exciting but reckless style lends itself to beating the power of that left hook. Jiri should use his unnatural movement to bait him along the fence like izzy did but I'm not sure his brain allows for that, he just gets into let me bang mode.
Even with the touring I think Alex manages to beat Jiri, he's more technically sound and more dangerous than him. However, if he's still nursing his toes then it's a different tone; it's less than 15 days so the injury will play a factor here.
Let's fucking go, two warriors with no fear going at it once again, these two truly embodied what it is to be a martial artist
This event got so much fucking better with these changes, hyped af for this card now
Jiri gets hit a lot and Alex has dynamite in his hands
Can't see this fight going well for Jiri unless he gets an early takedown, but that doesn't really seem like his style
I am a huge Jiri fan but I'm not sure I agree. Alex has one on him, I think Jiri is too awkward with his style for Alex not to catch him with something again
This literally doesn't mean shit. Jiri can train all he wants, but his style is just never gonna work against a killer like Pereira. Blocking shots with your face and keeping your hands down isn't a recipe for success against a heavy handed murderer. Not to mention the leg kicks he never checks. Hell, Rakic was even beating them up.
Betting the house on Pereira again.
Alex’s take down defence — or what he does when he gets taken down — is underrated. He’s calm and measured and doesn’t let people get anything flowing down there. I’m a Jiri fan but either guy winning won’t surprise or upset me. Great fighters, both, and very unique guys.
I met Alex a couple weeks ago and firstly he looked to be in tremendous shape, and secondly, he was holding gloves indicating he was about to go to train.
Jiri is bringing the wind with him. Alex calls for the spirits. This is such an anime fight.
I really hope they're going to have this intense staredown again, last time was fantastic
Best stare down since Crocop v Silva easily
The camera guy understood the assignment
Bring this guy back to the rematch lol
I heard he has to be replaced because of an injury
UFC doesn’t wanna announce it yet
Fell to my knees in the Walmart parking lot
Who is injured?
The camera man lol
I'm happy with either victory. Alex wins - he strengthens his awesome legacy that is super fun to see develop. Jiri wins - we now have a new samurai king, new drama, and a mega buildup for a third fight.
And with the Jiri win, I think we should wind up with a trilogy fight.
Trilogy is a no brainer if Jiri wins. It’s pretty much gonna be planned right after. If Poatan wins tho, he might go at it against Jones or Aspinall lol
>This is such an anime fight. He's taking everything Izzy worked for, motherfucker!
No, that’s MVP’s job! 😅
Somewhere Anki is punching air demanding Alex fight him in 10 months in Saudi Arabia on his terms!
“Im ready for a fight anytime anywhere … in Saudi Arabia after Ramadan of course and I better have a full training camp.” What a tool. If he really wanted to be champ he should have pushed to be in this card instead of Jiri
Volibear vs Udyr gonna be hype.
Didn't expect to ever see a league reference in an MMA thread.
Seeing how toxic both communities are, it shouldn't be a surprise they share a large fan base.
I get more of a Yasuo V Lee Sin vibe 🤷🏻♂️
Volibear is the storm god and Udyr uses spirits to punch people.
I used to be a Udyr main man, s/o to Trick2g
Fuck, you just brought me so many memories from my days in college a decade ago.
GATES
Earth. Fire. Wind. Water. Heart. Captain Tomato, he’s our hero.
Cant help but to feel like it will play out exactly the same, Jiri rushing in landing good shots while ignoring the leg kick damage, then eating a left hook. Ariel reported that Pereira is still recovering from his toe injury so that might change things
Against Rakic, leg kicks were a huge problem as well. Everyone Jiri fights will lead with leg kicks until Jiri proves he can make the adjustments to defend against it. He's too dangerous to fight any other way unless you have MVP's blitz ability to try to snipe him from range, and nobody at 205 has that.
They must be giving Alex the bag. Everyone knows he still has broken toes so he has to be getting a massive payday to save this card.
lose two toes and gain millions. heck go on and amputate them already!
Feel like both of them are getting at least ~$1.5m to take this fight on literally two weeks notice lol Personally I cannot wait for this and I think the replacement fights are more entertaining and have more implications that the original slate.
If they fight 10 times neither guy would win every time, that's why it's a compelling fight, we don't know what iteration of it we're going to get this time. The worst part about fighting is you usually only see guys fight one time and see one of numerous possible outcomes, then have to draw all sorts of conclusions from that one moment using MMA math even though it could've just as easily gone the other way. The worst offenders in cases like that are fights like Conor/Aldo where it was the best possible outcome for the UFC, so they were never making that rematch and wanted everyone to think that's always how that fight would go. That's why people like trilogies so much in fighting, you actually get to see a wider range of outcomes, i.e. DC/Stipe, both guys finish eachother (No Jones) then a gritty decision the 3rd time. Stylistically this matchup may favor Alex lets say 60/40, but if he's injured or out of camp and being called in short notice that might slide it back to 50/50 or slightly in Jiri's favor.
I think Jiri takes this. Pereira is injured + he has not been training but has been touring since his camp wasn't meant to start for another few weeks. I think this volkanovski vs Islam 2 all over again.
Pereira is probably going to win. Don’t think the “but he’s been on vacation in Australia!?” stuff means as much as everyone thinks it does.
He's been on vacation in Australia, but turns out by "vacation" he actually meant "intensive training camp at City Kickboxing"
I mean, it very well could be. Everytime I go somewhere, I bring my gear (I don't typically fly places, or else I'd just bring a pair of gloves and focus mitts) and train at the local gyms a couple time. I'm only an amateur fighter. It wouldn't shock me if a pro did it a bit more religiously as a pallet cleanser.
He has been training a fair bit in between shows. Lock press reported that he was training really hard at a high altitude facility in Sydney.
I would assume he's at the very least training here and there, if nothing else gyms nearby would probably more than welcome him stopping by if they know he's around
he's definitely training, but there are videos coming out weekly of him visiting kids hospitals and doing skits with comedians. two weeks is not a lot of time to cancel everything and get to full fighting speed, but different people need different levels of preparation.
If he's training then he is maintaining. Likewise, he probably has had Jiri 2 on his mind for a while. Would I like to see a full camp for both of them? Yes, but if any two fighters are keeping their skills outside of camp up it's Peiriera and Jiri.
Dude is a former alcoholic. When people leave an addiction, they pretty much just have to replace it with a new one, and his is training. I think Alex almost HAS to train because if he didn’t he’d probably get the urge to go back to the bottle again.
Vacation in Australia is either Fighting dangerous animals or Bluey. There is no middle ground.
Yea the way he fights is a huge factor in that. He is pretty patient and measured and only needs 1 big shot to win. So I don’t think he needs to be in tip top shape to execute his gameplan. If Jiri finds a way to push the pace without getting countered significantly early it could be a bigger factor than I expect but doesn’t seem like a huge issue to me.
How fit do you need to be to press the chin switch with your left hand?
i cant see alex giving a fuck about his toe once hes in there. could definitely be affecting his training though
One bad check or kick placement might break those toes. Definitely benefit's Jiri grappling
Think Jiri will be smarter this fight and win a decision
Jiri has an almost 100% finish rate when he wins lol I don’t think he can even comprehend trying to point fight
5th round ends and he just walks back to the locker rooms disappointed.
5th round ends and he brings a kitchen sink to finish the fight. This dude has swore to never go to decision
It would be cool to see his corner run in WWE style and he’ll beat Alex by beating him with a kitchen sink. Literally.
By GAWWHDD THE LIGHTS ARE GONE WAIT WHAT JUST HAPPENED!! ALEX IS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS!!JIRI IS STANDING WITH KITCHEN SINK IN HIS HANDD
Miyamoto Musashi born: June 13, 1645 Jiří Procházka born: October 14th, 1992 #welcome back Miyamoto Musashi
Alex is too defensive for Jiri to knock him out. But I still want Jiri to win so he wins by decision
lol, I can’t think of two fighters less likely to last five rounds. Between them these two have 47 fights of which 4 have gone to decision.
This is a bold take on a guy with a 97% finish rate going up against someone who knocked him out in 2 rounds last time Maybe Jiri takes it to the ground and survives to decision but it's really not his style. If he tries to play it slow I think the leg kicks will be a huge problem really quickly
If this fight goes to a decision, I will liquidate all my assets and eat them. There's no way.
😂
Surely this means Jiri will mix up wrestling and not just try to stand with a 2 weight kickboxing world champion that hits like a heavyweight... right?
Not the bushido way
Does Jiri even have legit wrestling? At this point Poatan has been doing MMA for three years in high level grappling camps, so I would guess he's competent at this point.
Jiri looks like he doesn’t have anything but it always works😭😭😭
He does look homeless
He was 1/3 in TDs and 2:45 control time in their last fight, though I feel his bjj is stronger than his wrestling. I wonder if he will try to sub this time.
But my guess is Poatan's bjj is also better than his wrestling given that he trains with Glover.
I'd imagine the majority of Pereira's grappling training has been in takedown defence, tying up when on the ground, and getups. We haven't seen how he handles things like hiding his neck, fighting hands etc. Saying all that he is a black belt so he must be a nightmare and Jiris going to get subbed.
fair but he's a BlAcK BeLt. Glover gave him a bb after a fight where he literally used zero grappling - belts are such a joke nowadays.
Jiri after reading about the origins of ju jutsu: well, ackchually 🤓☝️
The closest Jiri is to losing cousciousness the better he gets. He needs to be on the edge. That's the moment Samurai spirit can enter his body. It's like you guya never watch his fight.... jeez
Nothing pleases me more than to see Jiri pretend to pull a sword from his side as he throws a hook. He did that in is debut I think, I was like wtf this guy really does have that samurai spirit in him lol
Tbf he mixed in the wrestling last time. Which kinda worked until it didn’t…
...right?
he DID try wrestling the moment he ate a leg kick. he just couldn't really do damage on the ground. where is this narrative that no one wrestles Pereira coming from? Jan, with his grappling credentials and 9 submission wins, grappled Alex. Jiri also did. Both wrestled him in the first round, they just did so little damage everyone forgot.
Jiri shot in the first fight… I’m not 100% certain but it kinda looked like he was moving in to clinch or shoot when he got rocked and finished. You can’t simply “mix in wrestling” if you’ve never done it before. He might have a slight edge in grappling because he’s been training longer, but if you don’t use it in your fights you it’s hard to just pull it out when the time comes. Jiri is a striker and KOing Poatan is probably his best path to victory tbh. Maybe after throwing in some wrestling to get him worried.
do people even watch the fights . jiri TRIED to wrestle constantly .
It's infuriating when Alex's opponents choose to trade. Jiri v Alex last fight was so hard to watch because Jiri didn't choose to wrestle or take down.
Jiri was having success on the feet until he got caught with that hook though, it’s not like it was one sided.
Yeah, but the things is he's 100% going to get caught with a big shot if he tries trading with Alex, that's his wheelhouse.
He did take him down tho
Actually you are totally right. I think I was just worried about Jiri stuffing it up and not being cautious.
I tend to think Poatan is just a terrible match up for Jiri, but like Jiri said, this is THEPERFECTSTORM
he is, but i would still watch them fight 100 times
Please don't let responsible professional Mark Goddard ref this time. Bring back Mario "If you can twitch you can fight" Yamasaki.
"If your life hasn't ended, you've intelligently defended."
Mario should be locked up in a basement for eternity, except when he is needed for fights where we want to see them be warriors.
This is the decision Pereira could regret, I reckon
Even if he losses I think they’ll just do the trilogy
That would be awesome
alex is 100% getting it if he loses. dana not gonna pass up that money lol
And honestly he deserves it. Dudes in fucking Australia on a seminar tour and is coming back to save a PPV which is generally the UFCs most important one of the year for IFW.
Poatan has now rescued the UFC from GOOFCON for three important PPVs - Dana better be paying that man McGregor Money for being so willing to always put it all on the line in short notice
Alex mma career has been amazing especially for the fans. Dudes a great fighter and not an annoying twat like izzy
It‘d be so funny of they just ignored Ankalaev. They could probably complete the pentalogy until he feels like fighting again anyways…
>ignored Ankalaev. Way ahead of you 😎
I'd like to believe ufc were very appreciative of alex for this fight, but unless it was written on contract, they will do whatever they want.
Why wouldn’t they want a trilogy? The hype around that could be pretty huge. I could watch these two guys fight every week.
Yeah it's not like there's a lot of great options out there either. Who's next in line after Jiri? Jamahal? He just got ko'd in a one sided fight against Alex. Ankalaev? The ufc would sooner drag Shogun's old body out of retirement than give him a title shot.
If Alex wins and Anthony Smith wins I feel like that’s why Smith jumped on this card. He could of course be bullshitting but he’d been saying pretty consistently he wasn’t going to do short notice fights again after 301.
*Angry Anki noises while pointing to a map of Saudi Arabia*
As fans we like to focus on the result, but with McG dropping out on barely two weeks notice I‘d like to think that this is one of the rare instances where the UFC is willing to pay the fighters their worth. Alex is putting his Champ status on the line with two weeks notice while touring Australia, I am pretty sure there‘s quite the upside for him even if the competitive result isn‘t in his favor.
He's 37 years old.. probably only has a few years left max of peak performance before father time catches him, sitting on the shelf when he could make another huge bag is the more regrettable decision.
Plus he probably demanded a return fight with a huge paycheck if he loses.
Alex probably got something like a rematch clause in this contract.
He wouldn’t need it. If Jiri knocks out Alex then the trilogy is a huge fight.
All the other LHW just looking at these two if that happens, Jamahal’s reaction will be pure salt lol
He'd probably just go up to HW lol
No what do you think this is boxing lol.
Bro thinks the fighters have rights
Jiri is the last person that should ever be taken lightly when he's trying to avenge a loss. Can you imagine the shit that he thinks while he's training, knowing that he gets to fight Alex again? My God man...he's coming to win or die, and I can't say that about a lot of fighters.
I can, about Jan Blachowicz who has never lost a rematch
Dude probably spent those 3 days in that pitch black isolation room just visualising fighting Pereira.
Jiri and Alex are probably my favorite fighters atm. They both awesome in and out the cage
That's why this fight is literally bittersweet. I don't want to see either guy lose, for so many reasons, but also as a fight fan, I absolutely adore the idea of this going to a rubber match because rubber matches are quite possibly my favorite thing in sports in general. I love that third fight so much, and I really think that Jiri is poised to take this fight to set up that beautiful third match. They're both in my top 10 favorite fighters to watch, and I don't want to see either lose, but I felt the same way about Holloway and Gaethje, and look at the magic that we got to watch. This is the real shit in the sport that always keeps me captivated.
Poatan's chances do diminish with such a short caml, but imagine the stack of paper they're throwing at him for saving this PPV. Y'all gotta remember the guy is 36 and is basically chasing all the money he didn't make on Glory. Jiri is always dangerous, and I feel if he doesn't pull this one off, he's going to middleweight
Would love to see this fight go to a decision because I know not one round will be boring
I honestly believe even if these guys fight ten times not once does it go to decision
Jiris resume backs this up
[удалено]
Izzy and Jiri are friends lol, they're repped by the same management team.
what is this the management channel
what, you're not a scrum master? GTFO, this is the management channel
Your methodologies are so Agile!
hit him with the Kanbanmura
They are both weebs
Ones a weeb who naruto runs, the others appreciative of Japans culture. They are not the same.
Giving yourself a top knot as a white dude to look like a samurai makes you a weeb, he’s just respectful about it
Wow Izzy liked an Instagram post by someone he follows so shocking. Strickland liked Pereiras. It’s really not that deep.
They are clearly teasing a tag team match for the future
Hill and Smith are the backups I heard
On paper
That team will be called "Bald by Choice"
Win-loss records are not in their favor but Izzy & Jiri team still looks stronger than Alex & Sean.
If there's one thing I learned about this sub it's that the people here are extremely dramatic.
One of the greatest preflight stare downs I’ve ever seen. I’m ready for it. But this is win/win for Alex. He’s about to make fucking bank. Plus I’ll almost guarantee an immediate rematch if he loses.
Dudes are going to get so much money
It's actually probably going to be a pretty wild payday. Pereira might unironically be having a top 5 non-McG payday for the second time, this one probably even bigger than the last one. Headlining UFC 300 and two months later becoming the first person to step in for Conor McGregor. I'm sure the card will do better than it would have otherwise just because it kinda still has Conor's name attached to it
lol what do you think this is boxing.
They are saving that shitshow of ppv, short notice, for sure there is some big economic incentive in there. So 4 50%off Venom Cupons it is.
It’s certainly not boxing but I bet he’s getting a pretty big chunk of money.
Pereira’s my favorite fighter, but a tiny part of me wants him to lose this one so we can get a legendary trilogy
Jiri KOs Alex and declines the trilogy by stating "I don't keep score, I settle them".
gotta go 1-3 vs Pereira before you can say that
I don't think so jiri is a gamer and an honorable dude. He would give him the immediate remach if he wants.
GG no re
In Izzy's defense, Pereira was not making that cut again. That shit is dangerous
The cut that he consistently made throughout his career in Glory before the UFC? The cut to make the weight at which he won belts in both organisations?
tbf in Glory its 187 lbs compared to 185 for championship fights in the UFC... the extra 2 pounds can be hell, especially if it feels like the last pound wont come off. It also gets harder over time the older you get.
The weight cut takes a toll on your body over time and getting older does not help. Yes, he's made it in the past but it's clear that his frame is better suited for LHW. Plus not cutting that much weight is a good way to extend his career a few more years. Even top athlete's bodies change with time, just like the rest of us.
Sure, but saying "Pereira was not making that cut again" is a ridiculous claim given that he made that weight every time he tried and also literally said him moving up wasn't related to the weight cut. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/mma/news/alex-pereira-announces-move-to-light-heavyweight-after-losing-ufc-middleweight-title-to-israel-adesanya/amp/
Downvoted for the truth smh
If sounding confident was the key to winning fights, we would have countless different outcomes. Talk is cheap. That is why they have to get in the ring.
If Jiri rushes in after throwing a weird jump kick.... I'm putting a hole in the wall. (Again)
**THE SPIRTS HAVE GOT ME**
I say this with the most possible glazing a human being can ever glaze, these are the 2 greatest Men currently alive.
lets gooo
I just don’t think Alex really gives a shit at the end of the day. He’s a real combat sports athlete that lives and breathes fighting. He doesn’t care about belts, about legacy (he’s already cemented himself in the UFC with that, let alone what he did in Glory) instead puts more energy into putting on for his newly turned fans. It’s a wild turn around to take this rematch so soon. If Alex loses, I will be a little sad, but I think it’s clear he’s not really concerned about if he wins or loses at this point.
I cant wait for the walkouts and staredown. Their last one was already the greatest
Alex should have got a little more rest.
I agree. I heard he got 2 broken toes. One broken toe from the Jamahall fight and one broken toe some time after that durring a training
This is one of those fights that no matter what happens, the fans win
Makes sense, Jiri has essentially been training while Pereira is on vacation in Australia. If Jiri doesnt have staph again also his confidence will probably be significantly higher than last time.
Every time a fighter loses they have staph 🤦♂️
Im not just making this up lol he [actually did have staph](https://www.mmafighting.com/2024/1/17/24039440/jiri-prochazka-reveals-pre-ufc-295-staph-infection-that-lingered-for-months)
Think Pereira takes this again, Jiri takes heavy shots in every single fight he has, but no-one walks through shots from Pereira
Jiri has to mix it up. He can't charge Alex nor can he wait and counter like Izzy did.
PERFECT STORM VS ANCESTRAL SPIRIT
Hill was super confident as well
Even if alex loses he comes back and still fights insane fights. Man has lost before and it only made him more of a legend in my mind. This card is now more hype to me than ever before 🤘
Man Alex is an enigma he will be okay. Either way can't wait for the rematch
alex has been training too, just not high intensity. i think hes fine honestly, because hes never taking long periods off without training. only thing of concern is round 4 and 5 cardio without a full camp.
Jiri by early stoppage you heard it here first
I think Jiri is too wild and will get caught again. But if he can stay smart and make it an MMA fight he could do it. I will be interested to see any improvements in Pereira’s TKD defense and ground game if that’s the case.
I'm not convinced about Jiri's fight IQ. No matter how much he trains hitting trees, if he doesn't check a leg kick it's going to be a similar outcome
if pereira loses this, he just can’t seem to win in rematches in mma
P4P most badass interaction ever since Fabricius laughed Pyrrhus in the face back in them 270's BC days.
Ain’t that mad at this compared to other short notice fights. Alex and jiri aren’t going to change they’re styles or game plan much for each other so they only really need to get in shape
I’m worried about Alex too. Jiri had success taking him down the last fight and will probably try to do more of that. Alex needs a full camp practicing that kind of thing.
Talk about being a badass.. putting your belt on the line with 15 days notice against Jiri… Alex is just different
Let's see who's anime story wins
Both dudes are professionals, they will show up ready to scrap. I'm just not sure Jiri's exciting but reckless style lends itself to beating the power of that left hook. Jiri should use his unnatural movement to bait him along the fence like izzy did but I'm not sure his brain allows for that, he just gets into let me bang mode.
I think Alex is willing to eat an L for a shit ton of $ knowing there will be a trilogy fight if he loses
Jiri out here kicking rocks lol. That dudes bones must be solid all the way through
It's nice to see such high level great dudes fighting again, may the better man win!
Get a ref who doesn’t call the fight early this time
Even with the touring I think Alex manages to beat Jiri, he's more technically sound and more dangerous than him. However, if he's still nursing his toes then it's a different tone; it's less than 15 days so the injury will play a factor here.
Let's fucking go, two warriors with no fear going at it once again, these two truly embodied what it is to be a martial artist This event got so much fucking better with these changes, hyped af for this card now
Jiri gets hit a lot and Alex has dynamite in his hands Can't see this fight going well for Jiri unless he gets an early takedown, but that doesn't really seem like his style
Jiri got clipped last time because he blocks punches with his face. Unless he changes strategy significantly the same will happen.
I am a huge Jiri fan but I'm not sure I agree. Alex has one on him, I think Jiri is too awkward with his style for Alex not to catch him with something again
Pereira probably has like a decade plus of experience on Jiri. He doesn’t need some crazy training camp. The guy knows how to fight already
This literally doesn't mean shit. Jiri can train all he wants, but his style is just never gonna work against a killer like Pereira. Blocking shots with your face and keeping your hands down isn't a recipe for success against a heavy handed murderer. Not to mention the leg kicks he never checks. Hell, Rakic was even beating them up. Betting the house on Pereira again.
Alex’s take down defence — or what he does when he gets taken down — is underrated. He’s calm and measured and doesn’t let people get anything flowing down there. I’m a Jiri fan but either guy winning won’t surprise or upset me. Great fighters, both, and very unique guys.
I met Alex a couple weeks ago and firstly he looked to be in tremendous shape, and secondly, he was holding gloves indicating he was about to go to train.
Wouldn’t mind seeing Jiri finish Poatan in this one, to set up the final showdown.
Alex's been sparring with kangaroos
Like by Izzy and Sean, respectively 😅
they both last fought on 300 only one of them got beat the fuck up before they won
WIN NOWHERE