Sean Strickland longing for rematch with Alex Pereira

Sean Strickland is ready for a rematch with Alex Pereira. He faced Pereira in July at UFC 276 but lost the fight in the first round.

Before the defeat against two-weight GLORY kickboxing champion, Strickland had won six fights in a row and was on the edge of claiming a title. Many people criticized his approach when fighting Pereira because he did not try to perform a takedown.

The 31-year-old does not heed his critics, saying that if he faces Pereira again, he would not change his strategy and would only place his right hand higher. In an interview with MMA Junkie, the UFC middleweight titleholder said Pereira punches hard.

“That motherf*cker, he has dynamite in his hands but got to get a couple wins under my belt, and hopefully he’s still the champ and we’ll run it back,” Strickland said.

Strickland explained that he only needed to win a few more times before getting his first UFC championship shot. However, he also said that it would depend on the situation. It will be a while before the rematch, so Strickland plans to focus on Jared Cannonier.

The former King of the Cage middleweight champion also commented on the now-coach James Krause, whom he said should not be allowed in the UFC.

“I don’t know what the f*ck happened with Krause, I don’t even f*cking know Krause – but if there is any fight throwing bullsh*t – f*ck Krause,” Strickland said.

Krause, who retired from professional competition in August, has been under fire after a match involving one of his fighters gained attention due to suspicious betting line movement. Consequently, he has been suspended, and his fighters are currently not allowed to participate in the promotion.

Strickland has complaints about the punishments, saying that the UFC should close his gym. He, however, added that if the allegations are proven false, they should leave Krause alone.