UFC 276: Adesanya vs. Cannonier Recap

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Alex Pereira (L) of Brazil knocks out Sean Strickland in the first round of their middleweight bout during UFC 276. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

UFC 276 was a spectacular card with many finishes to keep us out of our seats. Whether they are legendary veterans or up-and-coming contenders, they definitely left an imprint in UFC history. 

For this week’s recap, I wanted to highlight a contender that should not be taken as a joke. Read below for my UFC Recap of Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira. 

Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira

UFC 276 Middleweight Main Card Bout


Strickland vs. Pereira Odds Recap

Entering fight night on Saturday, the UFC odds held #4 ranked Sean Strickland at -125 and Alex Pereira at -105 at your top-rated sportsbooks. When I took a look at this bout for my UFC Best Bets, both contenders were priced at -110. 

A lot of people, including myself, have underestimated the power and skill of Alex Pereira. In my prediction, I figured Strickland was durable enough to withhold Pereira’s power and have a gas tank to last him the full fight. 

Well, I will never make the mistake of underestimating Alex Pereira again. His lanky structure, his accuracy, his power; it’s all lethal. Interestingly enough, he should be coming up against the champion Israel Adesanya soon. That will be a fight you do not want to miss. 

Strickland vs. Pereira Fight Recap

Round 1

Pereira began the round with a piercing calf kick. He then landed a nice body kick followed by a jab; really consistent with his volume. Strickland was not phased. He was absorbing everything Pereira was throwing and continued to march him down. 

Honestly, I was beginning to think this will not end well for Strickland. Pereira landed a nice jab to the face; Strickland continued with his forward pressure. The more his chin was open and the more he was absorbing those jabs, the more you could see Pereira’s confidence shine in his striking. 

They exchanged jabs and Pereira was not worried about Strickland’s forward pressure at all. He was switching up his striking, landing on the head and body of Strickland. 

Strickland started to connect with his own jabs but, of course, Pereira returned with a right cross to the chin and some low kicks. 

A left hook from Pereira connected!! Strickland is down! He tried to get back to his feet but Pereira landed another stiff right to knock out Strickland cold! He’s out!!

Goodness, another knockout victory for Pereira in the books. This man is lethal standing. 

Alex Pereira defeated Sean Strickland by knockout at 2:36 in Round 1. 

What Else Happened at UFC 276?

Overall, this UFC 276 card was a blast. And because of all the intense action, the card flew by super fast!

But inside of this card, there were some historical moments made. The first was the rematch between two legendary veterans Jim Miller vs. Donald Cerrone. Jim Miller came out victorious by submission in the second round and was also awarded the all-time leader for wins in UFC history. 

There were also two title belts on the line featured in the co-main and main events, and both were successful defenses. 

First in the co-main, Volkanovski defended his title again against Max Holloway by decision. And in the main, Izzy Adesanya defeated his title once again by decision against Jared Cannonier. 

What’s Next on the UFC Schedule?

Up next on the UFC schedule, we head back to the UFC Apex for UFC Vegas 58: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev on Saturday, July 9, 2022. 

This is a card filled with dangerous, growing contenders including:

  • Said Nurmagomedov
  • Cynthia Calvillo
  • Kennedy Nzechukwu

Featuring in our co-main event, two fierce prospects will face off against each other in the middleweight division between Caio Borralho and Armen Petrosyan. For the main event, we have the battle of RafaelsRafael dos Anjos vs. Rafael Fiziev

Be sure to stay up to date weekly with our UFC picks content from all of our handicapping experts. 

UFC Vegas 58 Betting Odds

*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.