People mad about Pereira being fast tracked
- Thread starter andgonsil
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Haters maybe, MMA or UFC, are not on the skill level as top tier strikers...but top tier strikers are not on the level with wrestlers or grapplers so its natural. Alex success is because he can deal with most grappling and wrestlers, but his striking is so dominate because MMA are not at his level in striking. Glory kickboxers are above MMA striking...its like Majors vs minors....as far as level of striking...its just a sport in a league of its own and you don't see it till you play against them...
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I don't think the issue is that he got fast-tracked. The issue is the same as other fighters who have been given preferential treatment - he was given favorable matchups in every fight, having a path with carefully hand-selected strikers. He's had 7 fights in the UFC, 3 of which were title fights, and he still hasn't fought a decent wrestler/grappler. It's true that MW isn't overflowing with great wrestlers. But it's also true that established guys like Whittaker, Vettori, Hermannson, and Brunson were much more difficult style matchups than Strickland and Bruno.
The UFC not only fast-tracked Alex, but they also gave him the best matchups possible. I actually like and root for Alex, but facts are facts.
The UFC not only fast-tracked Alex, but they also gave him the best matchups possible. I actually like and root for Alex, but facts are facts.
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Dude might have been a vet in kickboxing but he was a rookie in MMA.
There's something to be said for fighters who actually have to pay their dues and work their way up.
Every guy Alex hasn't fought is another guy that might have caught him or choked him out
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Was he? he fought a grappler on his UFC debut and Stickland has shown some decent grappling in the past as has Jan, I think its moreso the case that LHW espeically has become a very striking focused division for many years with the UFC dumping people like Bader and Davis.
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i bring it up all the time. not because i'm mad, but because it's the truth. it's the people who "defend" Pereira who act like i'm shitting on him. he had to win the fights even though he got fast tracked, and he did, but they defintiely made sure he was going to get the shot at Adesanya. people complain about the corruption of UFC all the time, but when someone points out how the UFC did favors for their beloved favorites they always get upset and act like that didn't happen. the real answer when people say he got fast tracked is "life isn't fair".
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it's not just LHW. it's all of UFC. the majority of fighters in all divisions are strikers.
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I'm not mad at Pereira being fasttracked either, not at all. I like that he was. It was the obvious thing to do. For the UFC, for the fans. What's not to like?
But as you say, it's silly to act as if he wasn't fasttracked.
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The biggest tell that he was favored by the promotion was that his title eliminator fight at LHW was against Jan. Why Jan instead of Ank? His title eliminator was against Strickland at MW which made sense since they both haven't fought for the title yet. But Ank was the clear next guy since he arguably beat Jan last year. It's obvious to anyone with eyes what the UFC is doing with Pereira. I don't expect Alex to defend against a Rakic or Ankalaev. They'll feed him Hill who's coming off an injury or a timid Anthony Smith (would be hilarious if Smith subs Pereira).
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i said the exact same thing in another thread and people jumped down my neck about Ankalaev being "boring" or something and Jan being a former champion which is why it was a "better" win.
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Nobody's really "mad" about it, but you can acknowledge the preferential treatment of a guy getting 3 title fights out of 7 fights without having to fight any grapplers. The guy's fun to watch against other strikers, but it's definitely something to take into account if you're making picks when he does finally face a grappler.
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Agreed.
Pereira beat #5 (now current MW champ) Sean Strickland for a MW title shot. Won the title.
Pereira then beat #3 (former LHW champ) Jan Błachowicz for a LHW title shot. Won the title.
As the OP said, Alex deserves preferential treatment, because he's a proven champion already — for many years — and is getting up there in age.
The only fighters who should have to beat "everyone in the division" are unproven fighters.
Alex was already well-proven in Glory; it's not like he's some 22-year-old just starting out.
