"The American dream" - Sean Strickland reacts to Alex Pereira saying he'd recruit him for bank heist 

Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira are often seen training together and are known to be good friends. Pereira was also in Strickland's corner in his recent high-stakes middleweight title fight against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312. During the media day before his fight against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313, 'Poatan' revealed that he'd choose 'Tarzan' to accompany him for a bank robbery, drawing a reaction.

The 37-year-old Brazilian signed off 2024 with three successful title defenses and returns to the octagon at UFC 313 for a high-octane light-heavyweight title showdown. In a pre-fight media interaction, a reporter asked Pereira about the three fighters he'd bring to rob a bank. Pereira named Strickland among his picks for the hypothetical heist:

"Glover to drive and definitely Sean Strickland"

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:

Strickland posted his hilarious statement on his Instagram stories while reacting to his former rival. He praised the reigning light-heavyweight champion for overcoming adverse conditions to become one of the biggest stars in the UFC:

"The American dream. Raised a family, worked in a tire shop then became the biggest name in sports... All the respect to this man."

[Screenshot courtesy: @stricklandmma on Instagram]

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When Sean Strickland shared his experience of sparring with Alex Pereira

Sean Strickland and Alex Pereira once faced each other at UFC 276. The fight didn't end well for Strickland, and he was knocked out by 'Poatan' in the first round of the bout. Pereira has witnessed a meteoric rise since then and became the champion in two different divisions of the UFC.

The pair left their rivalry behind and are now in a good place with each other. The 37-year-old Brazilian is known for his devastating left hook and vicious leg kicks. Strickland once shared his experience of sparring with the reigning light heavyweight champion:

"I can spar Alex and I can go point for point and you know I could hit him, I could kick him, but the difference is the man touches you, and you just die."

Check out Sean Strickland's comments on Alex Pereira below (0:02):