Alex Pereira Opens Up About The Tough Challenges Of Fighting At High Altitude

Alex Pereira

Every sport presents its own challenges when played under different conditions. In tennis, varying clay surfaces lead to different bounces and speeds, while in cricket, overcast skies can benefit bowlers by aiding the pitch. Some might assume that conditions don’t significantly affect combat sports, but Alex Pereira recently challenged this notion and explained how environmental factors can influence a fight’s outcome.

Recently, Poatan shared a video on his YouTube channel about how he’s preparing for his upcoming fight at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. At over 4,000 feet above sea level, this venue is like a high mountain, where the air is thin and hard to breathe.

The lower oxygen levels make training tougher, turning each workout into a struggle for breath. In this challenging environment, every inhale feels like a fight, pushing him to dig deeper as he gets ready to defend his light heavyweight championship title.

He says, “The thing about the altitude is that it’s hard [to train]. We have a great team here. We have Glover, Plinio [Cruz], Yousri [Belgaroui], ‘Cesinha’ [Cesar Almeida]. Sean Strickland is also coming next week to train with us here. I’m very happy with this preparation.”

Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland Join Forces for Intense UFC 307 Training Camp

Utah’s arena has been the backdrop for major upsets, like Justin Gaethje’s knockout of Dustin Poirier and Leon Edwards’ win over Kamaru Usman. Known for its brutal knockouts, the high altitude might play a significant role, as fighters often find themselves gasping for air. But Pereira seems happy with his camp and ready to put on a show.

Ahead of his upcoming title defense, Pereira has teamed up with his former rival, Strickland. Known as ‘Tarzan,’ Strickland is a workhorse who rarely tires and has a truly unconventional fighting style. Having him in Pereira’s camp is a huge advantage, as he brings unique insights and relentless energy to the training process.

Talking about his experience at UFC 307 camp, he stated, “I spent a few days training with Sean Strickland, and I got to see how talented he is, his strategies, and how tough he is. I got a better understanding from this training than from actually fighting him.”

Indeed, with such high-level training, Pereira will be more dangerous than ever. The altitude challenge may not be as significant since he’s already training alongside a workhorse like Strickland, who will help him adapt and push through the tough conditions.

Alex Pereira Receives Surprising Backing From Rival Jamahal Hill For Khalil Rountree Fight

Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree

In the fighting world, losing can turn some fighters into whiners who can’t stop trash-talking their opponents. Instead of moving on, they keep bringing up their defeat, using words as their weapons. It’s like they can’t let go, and there is constant bickering despite how well the opponent has performed.

However, it looks like Jamahal Hill has put his hubris aside and is acknowledging his former opponent, Alex Pereira, as he prepares for his upcoming fight against Khalil Rountree at UFC 309.

Since the fight got announced, Hill has questioned Pereira fighting Rountree, arguing that it’s not a suitable matchup. Meanwhile, talking about the UFC 307 main event on Aljamain Sterling’s podcast, he mentioned that he believes their fight could be entertaining.

Ultimately, though, Hill is convinced that Pereira will win by knockout. His reasoning is that he doubts Rountree has the gas tank or the experience to handle a striker of Pereira’s level.

He stated, “100% it’s [Pereira vs. Rountree is] going to be a knockout. I don’t think Khalil doesn’t have a five-round gas tank… And he’s gassed at paces that were much much slower than the pace that he’s going to have to fight with Alex now. Alex is going to come out slow. He’s going to come out, take his time to close in and try to find his shots. That’s what Alex likes to do.”

The Brazilian champion has shown his impressive display of striking against Israel Adesanya, Jiri Prochazaka, and other big names. Consequently, the real concern is whether Rountree has the chin to absorb heavy shots despite his striking skills that have gone viral on the internet.

Michael Bisping Shares How Khalil Rountree Should Approach Alex Pereira’s Fight

The biggest threat in facing Pereira is his devastating knockout power, regardless of who stands across from him. His strategic use of kicks makes it even more difficult for opponents to land their own strikes. Meanwhile, ex-UFC champion Michael Bisping recently shared his thoughts on Rountree Jr.’s strategy.

Bisping believes Rountree faces a significant challenge in ‘Poatan’, so he stresses the need to start strong. He suggests that if Rountree doesn’t take the initiative, he risks allowing Pereira to find his rhythm, which could lead to a quick defeat. Instead, Rountree should apply pressure and keep UFC Champ on the defensive.

It’ll be interesting to see if Rountree follows Bisping’s strategy to outclass Pereira and take the belt. There’s no doubt Rountree has the power, but he’ll need to stay on the offensive and avoid going on the back foot to make it happen. If he can execute that game plan, fans might witness a major upset in the division.