Watch Alex Pereira, Sean Strickland spar for nearly 6 minutes straight: ‘Why do you punch so hard?!’
Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland spent some more time training together.
Back in 2022, Pereira faced Strickland in the featured bout of UFC 276, brutally knocking Strickland out in the first round to punch his ticket to a middleweight title shot. After the bout, Strickland gave Pereira props and the two ultimately spent some time training together in 2023. And now they’re back at it again.
On Friday, Strickland posted a photo of the two men sparring as they exchanged pleasantries over social media.
“Why do you punch so hard?!” Strickland said. “ We gotta get a scientific study on this man’s power. Great seeing you, man!”
“It’s always a pleasure to train with [you], brother!!” Pereira responded. “We are always evolving!!”
Pereira also put up several clips of their training session on his Instagram Reels, showing off nearly six minutes of the two men engaging in some light sparring (h/t MMA Orbit).
Alex Pereira just posted nearly six minutes of sparring footage between himself and Sean Strickland that just happened pic.twitter.com/riloebF73n
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) July 26, 2024
Since their infamous fight in 2022, both Pereira and Strickland have gone on to great success inside the octagon. Strickland improbably claimed the middleweight title in 2023, earning Fighter of the Year honors after an upset victory over Israel Adesanya at UFC 293.
Meanwhile Pereira has been making his case as an all-time great fighter, winning the middleweight title over Israel Adesanya before moving up to claim the light heavyweight title in 2023. Pereira is also the current front runner for 2024’s Fighter of the Year, with knockout wins over Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka at UFC 300 and UFC 303, respectively.