Outside Source
In March, Pereira (12-3) put his light heavyweight crown on the line against Magomed Ankalaev (20-1-1, 1 NC) seeking his fourth consecutive defense. To amass such a streak would be the longest title reign at 205 pounds since Jon Jones’ first run, in terms of total defenses. Instead, the Brazilian fell short to Ankalaev in that UFC 313 headliner, dropping a decision to the challenger. The two will run it back atop UFC 320 in October, and count at least one prominent combat sports figure who expects the rematch will play out differently.
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On the “Overdogs Brasil” podcast helmed by Renato “Money” Moicano and American Top Team coach Marcos da Matta this Wednesday, Teixeira broke down his friend and training partner’s path to victory. According to the former light heavyweight king, pressure will the key to Pereira getting his hand raised.
“The first round will be brutal,” Teixeira said flatly. “It’s not that he’ll come in angry, but he’ll come in with that same [aggressive] attitude. This fight will be much more dynamic. ‘Poatan’ will be pressing the entire time because he’s ready for it.”
Pereira as Good as It Gets, Coach Claims
In addition to what coach Teixeira considers “peak physical conditioning,” he highlighted the Sao Paulo native’s confidence and focus throughout the camp. For him, the mental solidity for “Poatan” is one of the factors that could make the difference in a five-round clash against Ankalaev.
“Mentally, there are guys who are different,” the fighter-turned-coach expressed. “I’ve always been calm in my fights, but I had my doubts. ‘Poatan’ seems very confident, very focused. He’s doing very well. Now we’ll hone it in these last three weeks, get the timing right, because the guy is already ready for five rounds.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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