Thoughts on Alex Pereira (S-L-O-W)

[Edward Henry Greb]

Never seen Pereira look that bad: he looked slow and lethargic AF.

Normally, Pereira is pretty stoic and methodical, but his reflexes are usually fast AF, not slow AF.

Given "one fight" where he looked to be constantly in "slow motion," it's difficult to determine the cause. My best guesses are four:

1. The altitude and deficit that applies to all fighters, some more than others;
   
2. The additional weight;
   
3. Effects from the KO by Izzy;
   
4. Getting up there in age.

Or maybe it's some combination of all??

Either way, in Pereira's previous fight with Izzy, I had never seen him look better. Even though he got KO'd, he was faster than Izzy, outscoring Izzy 2-1, in both numbers and percentages, he just got caught in an exchange. Pereira was fast and sharp in his last Izzy fight.

Last night, he looked like he was drunk, or just woke up with a hangover. He was slow AF and looked like he was walking around in a daze. Like he ate a bottle of Benadryl, and somebody woke him up and asked him to fight.

Even if Alex fights at 205 again, I think he should go down to 190. He is leaner, faster, sharper, at the lighter weight. Maybe it was just the altitude, maybe it was the weight, or maybe he was compromised by the KO by Izzy. Hard to say.

Before last night, I was 100% positive Pereira would beat Jamahal Hill and Yuri Procházka (at least the Pereira I saw in the last Izzy fight), I mean beat them badly.

While Pereira's grappling defense improved enormously in last night's fight, his speed, timing, reflexes were the worst I've ever seen them. (Maybe he was holding back in fear of the takedown???)

Either way, I hope Alex' next fight takes place at a normal altitude, and I think he would be smart to cut a little bit more weight, so as to keep his speed there. Thoughts?

 

[Fahcough]

Very frustrating to watch elite level striker look like that. He gets hit for every punch he throws, or body jab.

 

[Domitian]

Well we didn't really see Alex strike before he spent the first round carrying Jan. Consider that as well in addition to your other reasons.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Knocked out in his last fight ( fighting safe )
Fighting a former champ who just fought for the belt
New weight class
Fighting in the mountains, might as well have been on a ski slope

 

[legcramp]

High Altitude fight = always complaints about gassing afterwards on sherdog guaranteed.

 

[Phisher]

He was fighting at altitude after having to survive on the ground for the duration of the first round.

He looked sharp at 205 in kickboxing. I wouldn't worry about.

 

[humdizzle]

how did izzy look against Jan ?

was he lightening fast on the feet and stopping TDs ? threatening subs ?

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

High Altitude fight = always complaints about gassing afterwards on sherdog guaranteed.

Maybe because high altitude legit affects people.

It's not a joke. Just a few months ago, I traveled from the very low altitude of the city I live in, to investigate a case where a girl was mountain biking, and had a brain injury from falling. I traveled from below 1000' two of 5600' mountain slope.

I got out of my car, and began walking with the owner of the facility, and I started getting lightheaded. I'm in good shape, and I don't get lightheaded anywhere. Not even thinking about altitude/oxygen deficit, at first, I suddenly realized what was happening. Lack of oxygen.

It's not a joke, which is why fighters travel usually weeks ahead (as Pereira did).

Are you saying Pereira looked exactly as good as he did against Izzy?

It wasn't just a matter of "a different fighter" in Jan, something was definitely different about Alex.

 

[XociDe]

Watch his training footage. He is as fast and as sharp as ever. The altitude rekt both men in that fight, Jan just felt it a bit more.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

Watch his training footage. He is as fast and as sharp as ever. The altitude rekt both men in that fight, Jan just felt it a bit more.

That is a very good point, and I must concur.

 

[Doughie99]

Never seen Pereira look that bad: he looked slow and lethargic AF.

Normally, Pereira is pretty stoic and methodical, but his reflexes are usually fast AF, not slow AF.

Given "one fight" where he looked to be constantly in "slow motion," it's difficult to determine the cause. My best guesses are four:

1. The altitude and deficit that applies to all fighters, some more than others;
   
2. The additional weight;
   
3. Effects from the KO by Izzy;
   
4. Getting up there in age.

Or maybe it's some combination of all??

Either way, in Pereira's previous fight with Izzy, I had never seen him look better. Even though he got KO'd, he was faster than Izzy, outscoring Izzy 2-1, in both numbers and percentages, he just got caught in an exchange. Pereira was fast and sharp in his last Izzy fight.

Last night, he looked like he was drunk, or just woke up with a hangover. He was slow AF and looked like he was walking around in a daze. Like he ate a bottle of Benadryl, and somebody woke him up and asked him to fight.

Even if Alex fights at 205 again, I think he should go down to 190. He is leaner, faster, sharper, at the lighter weight. Maybe it was just the altitude, maybe it was the weight, or maybe he was compromised by the KO by Izzy. Hard to say.

Before last night, I was 100% positive Pereira would beat Jamahal Hill and Yuri Procházka (at least the Pereira I saw in the last Izzy fight), I mean beat them badly.

While Pereira's grappling defense improved enormously in last night's fight, his speed, timing, reflexes were the worst I've ever seen them. (Maybe he was holding back in fear of the takedown???)

Either way, I hope Alex' next fight takes place at a normal altitude, and I think he would be smart to cut a little bit more weight, so as to keep his speed there. Thoughts?

well he DID spend the entire 1st round with Blachowicz on his back or trying to drag him fully to the ground and Alex defended about a million choke attempts too....
I am sure that did drain him. It'd drain anyone.
I do think that his first fight at 205lbs and he beat a former champ at that weight class -- it's a very solid achievement.
It'll give him confidence that he can deal with wrestlers and grapplers and submission attacks and I think he'll draw some great resolve and strength from this victory. Blachowicz is a low-key guy but he is very strong and experienced and really no joke.

 

[idlePulse]

I think Alex was super cautious of the TD, as well as Jan's KO power/craftiness.
He was definitely not the super-confident wrecking machine we see him as.
That being said, even if you didn't think he deserved the decision, he went the distance with a dangerous former champ.
So yeah, I think he belongs at the top. Will he hold a belt? Not bad odds since Hill/Jiri are strikers... but if they pair him against Ankalaev.. that's a much worse fight for him.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

well he DID spend the entire 1st round with Blachowicz on his back or trying to drag him fully to the ground and Alex defended about a million choke attempts too....
I am sure that did drain him. It'd drain anyone.
I do think that his first fight at 205lbs and he beat a former champ at that weight class -- it's a very solid achievement.
It'll give him confidence that he can deal with wrestlers and grapplers and submission attacks and I think he'll draw some great resolve and strength from this victory. Blachowicz is a low-key guy but he is very strong and experienced and really no joke.

And, for what it's worth, while I do think Pereira looked slow (and discussed the reasons why that might've been) ...

He did beat Jan Błachowicz (won Rounds 2 and 3), which is actually incredible in only his 10th MMA fight, 1st MMA fight @ LHW, so you're right.

If Alex keeps improving his anti-grappling, and goes back to being the fast killer he normally is, I don't see how anyone beats him, especially in a 5-rounder. (I think he would've KOd Jan in 4 or 5.)

Hope that speed comes back for the next one ...

 

[Last Falconry]

both guys looked like they were waist deep in water. weird fight. at least one fight always gets ruined by altitude on cards like this

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

I think Alex was super cautious of the TD, as well as Jan's KO power/craftiness.
He was definitely not the super-confident wrecking machine we see him as.
That being said, even if you didn't think he deserved the decision, he went the distance with a dangerous former champ.
So yeah, I think he belongs at the top. Will he hold a belt? Not bad odds since Hill/Jiri are strikers... but if they pair him against Ankalaev.. that's a much worse fight for him.

Sorry, I DO think Alex deserved the win ...

My point is, if he was as fast as he normally was (as against Izzy, at the lighter weight) he would have flatlined Jan too.

In fact, another round or so, Alex would've got the KO it in this fight.

 

[swizztony]

Yeah it had nothing to do with fighting at high altitude against a guy who he had to fear for the takedown with every shot he threw right. Y’all are gonna see when he decimates jiri and hill

 

[Question]

SLC altitude baby! Seriously tho the UFC should stop booking big fights here, it just makes it way harder for guys to prepare and compete.

Anyways it was probably a combination of multiple factors.
Added some weight in a short amount of time(only three months since his last fight at middleweight), grappled more then he's ever had to against a legit LHW, worried about the takedowns and obviously the altitude which had a massive impact on both guys.

I actually don't think the Izzy KO had much of an effect on him, he still was pretty aggressive when he saw openings and was just more patient with his offense due to the factors listed above. Overall I'd say Pereira has most likely learned from the mistakes he did in his last loss, I mean hopefully so since going all out on offense like that against Jiri would be dangerous and where Jiri can be at his best.

 

[Marko Polo]

Pereira looked great dude. He weathered the early grapple fuck storm and didn’t let a threat of the takedown completely diminish his striking output. From round 2 he took over and pot shotted Jan into a bloody mess, and Jan was scrambling for a takedown at the end of the second as he was close to being finished.

Patient Poatan is the worst thing possible for the rest of the division. Before it was his weak ground game, now we’ve seen he can survive, and now he’s more selective with his shots too, so him getting wreckless is not a path to victory for other fighters anymore. I think once he adjusts to 205 a bit better, and fights at a lower altitude, I can see him taking the belt.

 

[Axe720]

Definitely looked like he was getting used to carrying the 20 extra pounds. Also as others have said, that first round was really draining for him. I'd say in his next fight he may be a little quicker and more fluid.

 

[Edward Henry Greb]

Pereira looked great dude. He weathered the early grapple fuck storm and didn’t let a threat of the takedown completely diminish his striking output. From round 2 he took over and pot shotted Jan into a bloody mess, and Jan was scrambling for a takedown at the end of the second as he was close to being finished.

Patient Poatan is the worst thing possible for the rest of the division. Before it was his weak ground game, now we’ve seen he can survive, and now he’s more selective with his shots too, so him getting wreckless is not a path to victory for other fighters anymore. I think once he adjusts to 205 a bit better, and fights at a lower altitude, I can see him taking the belt.

Nice post.