Former UFC veteran puts Alex Pereira above Islam Makhachev on pound-for-pound list
Alex Pereira should be regarded as the number one pound-for-pound fighter, says one ex-UFC veteran.
Pereira has been making a strong case for himself to be at the top of that list. UFC CEO Dana White has pounded the table for Jon Jones remaining at the top. Others believe Islam Makhachev is the rightful choice at number one.
For one former UFC fighter, Pereira is the true answer.
Alan Jouban Vouches for Alex Pereira as Top UFC P4P Fighter
During an edition of MMAFighting.com‘s “The Fighter vs. The Writer,” retired fighter and current UFC analyst Alan Jouban made the case for Alex Pereira.
“Alex Pereira — I think he should be No. 1 pound-for-pound in the world right now,” Jouban said. “Because of his activity and performances. He’s carrying the UFC single-handedly right now. Alex Pereira deserves I think to be up there at No. 1.”
Ultimately, Jouban feels if you add some context to Islam Makhachev’s resume, it doesn’t look as good Pereira’s.
“Islam, yes I think he beat the more established names that you mentioned when you talk about [Alexander] Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier,” Jouban said. “But when you look at the two names right there, Volkanovski as we just said it’s obvious, but he’s a [featherweight] coming up in weight. So he was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but he was a guy that was undersized fighting up in weight.
“Dustin Poirier, as good as he is and as established as a name, this was the easier fight for them. They hand-picked Dustin Poirier. Yes, he was the guy available, but he was also the guy that they knew he doesn’t defend takedowns well, and he’s lost all of his title fights by choke. So they took somewhat the easier path right here and hand-picked Poirier. That’s why I have to discredit some of it. I think there’s credit, but that’s why I would put Pereira above him.”
No matter how one feels about the pound-for-pound debate, you can’t deny that Pereira and Makhachev have established themselves as elite champions. The question remains, who will see their title reign end first?
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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Alan Jouban Alex Pereira UFC
