Sean Strickland: Alex Pereira not going back down to middleweight, 'looked like death' in last cut

Sean Strickland doubts Alex Pereira moves back down to 185 pounds.

After Dricus Du Plessis retained his middleweight title with a submission of Israel Adesanya at UFC 305, light heavyweight champion Pereira sent him a warning.

Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) said he’d drop to middleweight one more time to face Du Plessis, but Strickland strongly advises him against that move.

“His big ass ain’t going back down to 185, dude,” Strickland told ESPN. “As a welterweight that moved up to 185, once you get used to that weight class, the thought of going back down sounds miserable. I think Alex should fight (Du Plessis) at 205 any day of the week. Any day of the week, he sits at 205, 100 percent.”

Pereira’s most recent appearance at middleweight came at UFC 287 when he lost his middleweight title to Adesanya by knockout. He has since moved up to 205 pounds, where he ruled over the division by claiming the title and defending it twice.

Strickland recalls seeing Pereira in rough shape prior to his fight with Adesanya at UFC 287. Du Plessis himself would rather fight Pereira at light heavyweight over middleweight.

“I remember seeing Alex for his last fight (at middleweight) in the back room, and he looked like death,” Strickland said. “When he last middleweight cut, I walked to go say hi to him, and he just looked like f*cking death – to the point where I’m like, ‘Man, this ain’t good for you dude, go up.’ I think at 205 he’d do in a heartbeat, but 185 I can’t see him doing that, luckily for us.”

Pereira defends his light heavyweight title against Khalil Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC 307 main event in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.