Alex Pereira is quickly rocketing up the ladder of all-time greats after delivering another jaw-dropping knockout to defend his title in the UFC 303 main event.
Despite taking the fight on short notice to replace an injured Conor McGregor, Pereira came out looking like he just endured a 10-week training camp as he surgically dissected Jiri Prochazka on the feet. Pereira showed off all of his various weapons, from some of the nastiest leg kicks in the sport to arguably the most powerful hands in the UFC.
Pereira nearly ended the fight at the end of the first round after blasting Prochazka with a left hook, but instead he finished with a highlight-reel head kick as soon as the second round began. It was another stunning performance, as Pereira remains champion with a knockout just 13 seconds into the second frame to end Prochazka’s night at UFC 303.
“It was great,” Pereira said of the win. “I was saying all week, I was going to come out here and be victorious. I don’t know what the next step is. I’m taking these opportunities. Everything that’s coming my way is positive, so this is what I’m doing.”
Sadly, Prochazka’s best efforts to change his fortunes after his first encounter with Pereira didn’t matter. He opened the fight this time around with a series of stance switches in hopes of protecting his legs from the damaging leg kicks Pereira always throws. However, the Brazilian still chipped away with several kicks connecting with a sickening thud.
That opened Pereira’s ability to go back up top to the head with his signature left hook, which followed a jab that just stabbed at Prochakza from the outside. With just a few seconds remaining in the opening round, Pereira uncorked another stiff left hook directly to the jaw that knocked Prochazka to the ground just as the horn sounded.
Prochazka smiled as he rose to his feet, but he also stumbled back to his corner and tried to use the one-minute break in an attempt to recover.
In the end, that didn’t matter.
As soon as the second round started, Pereira launched a kick that bounced off Prochazka’s head and sent him crashing to the canvas. After some complained that the first fight may have endured an early stoppage, referee Herb Dean allowed the action to continue for a few more seconds as Pereira continued to hammer away with punches.
Finally, Dean stepped in to rescue Prochazka from further harm.
It was another unbelievable performance in a UFC career filled with them, as Pereira wins again in spectacular fashion.
After already conquering two divisions in a very short amount of time, Pereira might have designs on a third championship in the near future.
“I think that’s in my future,” Pereira said of potentially going to heavyweight. “I said that last time I was here. I said it a lot, but it didn’t seem to be too much interest in the organization. But I’m here, I’m available, and I do think that’s in my future.
“I think the fans have a lot of say in this. If this is what they want, I think this is going to be inevitable.”
