Alex Pereira has a knack for turning former foes into friends.
Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC 307 on Oct. 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Pereira recently uploaded footage of his first week of training in Utah, where former kickboxing foe Yousri Belgaroui was in his camp. Belgaroui defeated Pereira via unanimous decision in their first Glory kickboxing matchup, while the Brazilian exacted revenge via knockout the next two times they fought.
However, Belgaroui isn’t the only former foe joining Pereira’s camp leading up to UFC 307. The champ revealed that Sean Strickland, whom he knocked out in 2022, will also be joining him next week. Strickland has openly acknowledged Pereira’s power multiple times since the loss and has also seemingly developed a camaraderie with “Poatan.” Strickland will be joining Pereira’s team, which includes the likes of his sister, Aline Pereira, UFC middleweight Cesar Almeida and coaches Plinio Cruz and Glover Teixeira. Strickland, who is known for his conditioning, could be a valuable addition to Pereira’s camp for a fight which takes place at an elevation of more than 4,000 feet.
Strickland also has history with Rountree, who was previously a teammate at Xtreme Couture. Strickland initially mocked Rountree for an emotional post-fight interview after a win over Karl Roberson in March 2022. Strickland has since taken multiple digs at “The War Horse,” calling him out for his behavior in the gym in addition to labeling him a “special needs adult.”
Someone brought up my Roundtree interaction. I use to think he was just a male feminist who was in a cult ao naturally I made fun of him because it was the right thing to do…
In hindsight I think he might be special needs and is a victim. Maybe he needs help?#saveroundtree
— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 23, 2023
Rountree is on a five-fight winning streak that includes four finishes. Meanwhile, Pereira has defended his throne twice since winning it against Jiri Prochazka, most recently via TKO in a rematch against “BJP” at UFC 303 this past June.
