Chael Sonnen thinks Alex Pereira is making a mistake.
Earlier this month, Pereira misplaced his gentle heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev in the principle occasion of UFC 313. Earlier than the occasion, the dialog round Pereira centered round “Poatan” probably transferring as much as heavyweight to pursue a 3rd UFC title, however after the loss, all indicators level to a direct rematch between him and Ankalaev later this 12 months. And Sonnen thinks that’s not a good suggestion.
“I’m a really large Alex Pereira fan, on a private degree but in addition his work contained in the cage,” Sonnen advised Submission Radio. “I gotta inform you, there’s nothing inside that first struggle, whether or not sickness, harm, or a mix of each, there was nothing about that first struggle that may lead an inexpensive analyst to consider you’re going to have a unique end result within the second struggle. …
“That first struggle was 4 to at least one. It was 4 rounds to at least one. It actually was not overly aggressive. There have been some [good] issues performed by Pereira, corresponding to stopping the takedowns. We didn’t know he had this capability. It was a fairly gradual tempo and there wasn’t lots performed. I’m simply suggesting there was nothing we noticed, even at a gradual tempo, even at a drawn down action-packed night time or lack thereof, there’s nothing to consider that rounds six, seven, eight, 9, and 10 are going to be any totally different.
“No matter it’s that Pereira is meant to have realized in that job expertise, why would we not consider an equal quantity could be realized by Ankalaev? No matter we’re presupposed to consider that Pereira gained to do a greater job subsequent time, why will we not consider that Ankalaev additionally [learned]? Ankalaev is the one which had his takedowns stuffed. So in concept, he’s the one that may have felt and know the place the changes are to get the large man off his ft. And as soon as he will get him on the bottom, I can’t think about that’s the place the judges are going to see it [Pereira’s] method.”
For Pereira, the rematch is not only about getting again the loss, but in addition about righting the unsuitable. Just lately, Poatan revealed he handled quite a lot of points earlier than the struggle and thought of withdrawing from the occasion altogether earlier than seeing issues by way of. Evidently Pereira believes he’ll have extra success and provides a greater exhibiting with higher preparation for his or her rematch. However for Sonnen, that’s lacking the forest for the bushes. The largest alternative for Pereira isn’t Ankalaev, it’s nonetheless up at heavyweight.
“I believe it’s a shock and I believe it’s a danger,” Sonnen mentioned of the rematch. “The way in which we obtained Pereira to 205 kilos is opposite to what folks keep in mind. Folks’s minds have performed a trick on them. Folks consider Pereira obtained to 205 as a result of he cleaned out 185. That’s not correct. He obtained beat. And when he obtained beat at 185, he not has the belt, he not has to remain as the top of the division. He’s free like anybody else to go wherever he needs.
“So if we wished to get him to heavyweight, it wasn’t by beating Ankalaev thus cleansing out 205. It will’ve been to get him beat, which we did. Our alternative to bump him up to have the ability to tackle the winner of a Jones vs. Aspinall … the best way to do it has already been performed, and I’m not sure we shouldn’t have taken full benefit. The struggle was shut, he stopped the takedowns, it added to the story; let it go. There was nothing embarrassing about it. However should you rematch and also you drop two straight … that’s the place some embarrassment does set in.”
Pereira and Ankalaev are anticipated to rematch later this 12 months, with each males suggesting August is an effective timeline for his or her second battle.
