During a recent installment of Chael Sonnen’s podcast, the ex-MMA champion elaborated on the ways in which Alex Pereira could potentially achieve the status of the greatest fighter in UFC history.
Alex Pereira joined the UFC known as a lethal fighter in the octagon. He possesses unparalleled strength in his dominant hand and always retains a fearless demeanor on his face.
After signing a contract with the UFC, Pereira quickly gained three easy victories before facing off against his former kickboxing rival, Israel Adesanya.
In their initial encounter, Pereira was able to defeat Adesanya and take the UFC middleweight championship from the 36-year-old. However, in their subsequent rematch, ‘The Last Stylebender’ emerged victorious by knocking out Pereira for the first time in his MMA career.
After transitioning to the light heavyweight division, ‘The Poatan’ quickly regained his gold by securing three consecutive wins.
This includes his commanding win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 300, as Pereira delivered a powerful left hook that ended the fight in just a few minutes of the five-round championship match.
Pereira’s current goal is to become the first three-division champion in UFC history. According to former MMA star Chael Sonnen, achieving this would solidify his status as the greatest fighter of all time.
Chael Sonnen says that if Alex Pereira defeats Tom Aspinall and becomes triple champion, he will be the GOAT:”If [Alex] became champ-champ-champ, and he is the first person ever to actually do it… we’re not out having a conversation on who the GOAT is. We will just refer to… pic.twitter.com/fNHhsuDPbV
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 18, 2024
“If I were to say that Alex Pereira, who has never competed in wrestling or grappling and is not a black belt, is the best in his field, you would likely be skeptical.”
If he were to achieve the title of champ-champ-champ, which no one has ever done before, there would be no doubt about his status as the GOAT. We wouldn’t even need to discuss it; he would simply be recognized as the greatest of all time.
“While I’m not fully convinced that he could defeat Tom Aspinall, he is certainly the first candidate we would consider and say, ‘Yes, let’s give him a chance. He might have a chance at beating him.’”
Sonnen’s praise is certainly noteworthy, and there is validity to his statement. For the majority of UFC fighters, it is nearly impossible to compete in three different weight divisions.
Fluctuating between weight classes takes a toll on a person’s body, making it a brutal practice from a weight-cutting perspective. This can greatly affect their stamina, speed, power, and overall durability, especially when they push their bodies to extreme measures.
The approach to fighting is completely altered depending on the weight class, as seen in this unique approach. While a fighter may be able to increase their weight, there is a notable distinction between fighting at an uncharacteristic weight and fighting at their optimal weight.
Call me stupid but I never realized drastic weight cuts affected your power as well, I thought it was just durability.Because the hook pereira landed on Adesanya was way more clean than the hook he landed on Hill💀 pic.twitter.com/qd3poiPTy4
— Aj (@AjDuxche) April 18, 2024
Obtaining a single title shot in your UFC career is a difficult feat, let alone emerging victorious and cementing your name as a champion in the history books for eternity.
In the early days of the UFC, the idea of having two separate divisions was simply a dream. Out of the many fighters who have competed under the promotion, only nine have managed to achieve the feat of becoming champions in multiple divisions.
Despite their impressive achievements, none of them have accomplished this feat in all three divisions, which would rank among the most remarkable sporting accomplishments of all time, not just within the UFC.
Although Sonnen’s statement that Pereira would instantly become the UFC’s GOAT may surprise some fans, it is difficult to dispute if he achieves three-division champion status.
Ultimately, if Pereira decides to move up to the heavyweight division and emerges victorious, he would not only solidify himself as one of the best in his generation, but also establish himself as one of the greatest of all time. This is the potential outcome of his decision.
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