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Chuck Liddell, a UFC hall of famer and former light heavyweight champion, appeared at Glover Teixeira MMA in Connecticut to visit the reigning UFC middleweight champ, Alex “Poatan” Pereira.
Appearing in an interview at the gym, Liddell shared his opinions of “Poatan”, his opinion on Pereira’s first UFC championship bout, and his insights on the highly anticipated UFC rematch between Pereira and Israel Adesanya at UFC 287, which is set to take place on April 9.
Chuck Liddell on Pereira’s Training & His Last Performance
Liddell was a pioneer of MMA, and was one of the first fighters to utilize high-level wrestling to keep fights on the feet, paving the way for a generation of fighters to follow in his footsteps. Like Liddell, Pereira also uses grappling as a tool to keep fights on the feet, so Liddell naturally had some pointers for the champion.
“He’s doing great, man,” Liddell responds when prompted about his thoughts on Pereira. “I had a few things I wanted to help [Pereira] with, things I could add maybe, to see if he liked them. You know, for some of the wrestling stuff, and I think he picked it up well, and I’m looking forward to seeing him maybe use one of them. But, you don’t know, he’s looking sharp, so we’ll get a chance to see that.”
Liddell likes Pereira but admits “he’s crazy”, referring to the walkout ritual that Pereira performs, where he shoots his opponent with an imaginary bow and arrow.
“[Pereira] is a great guy, [I like him and he’s a lot of fun] — he’s crazy, man — shooting arrows, that guy’s nuts. But, he’s a lot of fun; he’s tough, man; he’s sharp.”
Pereira’s walkout pays homage to his indigenous roots, as he belongs to the Pataxó tribe of native Brazil.
Lidell goes on to discuss his thoughts on the first UFC fight between Pereira and Adesanya.
“I didn’t know [which way] it was going….the thing that impressed me [about Alex] the most was — one thing I was always sure I was able to do, [which was] to be able to fight four or five rounds, and if there’s 30 seconds left and I catch you — you’re still going down.
“Because a lot of guys get to that fifth round and, ‘oh you need [a knock out]’ and they just don’t have anything left in them. ‘If he can get [the shot] he can still do it!’ — no he can’t he’s not throwing hard enough, you know? Like, [Pereira] still had lightning in his hands, [he was still able] to throw full power at the end of the five rounds. [He has] great composure, [he’s a] great fighter.”
Chuck Liddell’s Prediction for UFC 287
“The Iceman” gives his honest prediction on the UFC rematch between Adesanya and Pereira. The fight is in fact a tetralogy, considering their two bouts in kickboxing. Pereira is 3-0 against Adesanya.
“I think it’s going to be a tough fight,” Liddell remarks. “[Adesanya has lost to him three times now], and that’s going to get in his head. I think [Pereira] can end it in [three rounds].”
Liddell weighed in on the psychological impact that losing three times to one man can have. He doubts Adesanya can enter the correct headspace needed to win the rematch. All will be told in the main event of UFC 287 on April 9.
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