In his first opportunity to make a statement on the pay-per-view against a highly ranked opponent, Pereira unleashed a devastating left hook that put Sean Strickland down and out in the first round at UFC 276. It was a stunning finish as Pereira needed just one flush shot that dropped Strickland to the canvas where the Brazilian delivered another huge punch before the referee rushed in to stop the fight. The official finish time came at 2:36 in the first round. “I don’t care what he says in pre-fight interviews, I don’t take anything personally,” Pereira said of Strickland. “I want to thank him for fighting me. We had a strong strategy. He took a little time there for the knockout.” Facing an elite kickboxer didn’t deter Strickland from his normal game plan, where he put pressure on Pereira while trying to build his striking game. Strickland seemed to be in his usual rhythm, but Pereira was just biding his time as he went off with his leg kicks while looking for the perfect opening to get his hands free. The opportunity came midway through the round with Pereira landing a left hook — the exact same punch that landed UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in their last meeting in a kickboxing ring in 2017 — and it landed on Strickland’s chin. Like Adesanya’s knockout, Strickland’s came courtesy of Pereira’s significant power as he moved to 3-0 in the UFC while positioning himself for a potential title shot down the road. “A lot of people talk about my two wins over Israel Adesanya, but they say they’re kickboxing,” Pereira said. “I just won No. 4 [fighter] in the rankings, so I know I won it [title shot]. Let’s cheer for Adesanya tonight.”
