"It was quite endearing" - Chael Sonnen revisits Sean Strickland's fear of Alex Pereira’s one-punch power ahead of Magomed Ankalaev fight at UFC 313

Chael Sonnen looked back on Sean Strickland's belief that Alex Pereira would knock him out.

On March 8, Pereira will headline UFC 313 and attempt to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev.

Pereira's reputation has been a commonly mentioned factor heading into UFC 313. The Brazilian superstar's striking skills and knockout power have created an aura of invincibility.

During a video posted on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen revisited Pereira's knockout win against Sean Strickland in July 2022 by saying:

"If you think Pereira is just going to go out there and land some shots and Ankalaev can't take him, Ankalaev can't roll with him, he can't flow back, okay, he's going to go to sleep. That's true. Sean Strickland was saying that about Ankalaev. It was quite endearing because it was one of the rare Sean Strickland compliments."

Sonnen followed up:

"Sean said, 'I'm not scared of Alex Pereira. I'm just aware that at some point that his hand is going to hit my face, and I'm going to go to sleep.' In Sean talk, you're not going to get a bigger compliment."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments about Pereira starting below (3:44):

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Chael Sonnen credits Alex Pereira for validating his truth

Alex Pereira's MMA credibility was heavily questioned once he signed with the UFC. Despite being a world-class kickboxer, many analysts believed his lack of grappling experience would ultimately prevent him from establishing the resume he has.

During a video posted on Instagram, Chael Sonnen had this to say about Pereira proving the doubters wrong:

"When Alex got to the championship there was some question, he draws into Prochazka, he draws into Prochazka the second time, he draws into Rountree, the whole story starts to tell itself. As the story of Alex Pereira is unfolding, as we realizing everything we questioned that he believed to be true, he was the expert and we were the students."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments about Alex Pereira below:

Alex Pereira's ten-fight UFC run has separated him as an all-time great fighter. The 37-year-old enters UFC 313 after five consecutive wins at light heavyweight.

Meanwhile, Magomed Ankalaev has climbed the ranks to earn his upcoming opportunity, securing wins against Aleksandar Rakic, Johnny Walker, Anthony Smith, and more.