Alex Pereira used the same left hook that knocked out Israel Adesanya to knock out Sean Strickland.
Pereira drew a big step up in competition this past July at UFC 276 where he was matched up with streaking contender Strickland.
Strickland had Pereira backpedaling to start, but the former Glory champion was sharp on the counter with his jabs and kicks. Strickland continued pressing forward with strikes, but midway through Round 1, he was met by a blistering left hand and a follow-up right, which put him out.
Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) returns to action on Nov. 12 when he challenges middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 281, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Before he faces Adesanya, relive Pereira’s finish of Strickland in the video above.
