VIDEO | Heavyweight Alex Pereira throws bombs with Sean Strickland in wild sparring match

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland got the first taste of Alex Pereira’s move to heavyweight in a recent sparring session.

One of UFC Freedom 250’s biggest fights puts former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira against former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane in a heavyweight co-main event. Pereira and Gane will fight for the interim heavyweight title as Tom Aspinall continues to recover from multiple eye injuries sustained against Gane at UFC 321 last year.

After teasing a move to heavyweight for years, Pereira will make his first Octagon appearance at heavyweight against one of the top fighters in the division. Pereira vs. Gane is expected to be a fan-friendly bout between two of the most dynamic strikers on the roster.

While Pereira has almost three full months to train for Gane, he’s already picking up the pace in his preparations, including his work with former rival Sean Strickland. Strickland, the UFC’s former middleweight titleholder, is known to spar more than almost any other fighter in the promotion.

Working out with Strickland usually means an impromptu sparring match, and Strickland got the first look at what a heavyweight Pereira will look like in the Octagon.

WATCH: Alex Pereira vs. Sean Strickland throw hands in heavyweight sparring

In a recent Instagram post, Pereira shared footage of him and Strickland going hard in sparring at the UFC Performance Institute.

 

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A post shared by Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@alexpoatanpereira)

Strickland is also getting ready for a fight as he prepares to face UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May. He most recently defeated Anthony Hernandez at UFC Houston after suffering a second defeat to Dricus du Plessis.

Pereira and Strickland battled earlier in their UFC careers at UFC 276, with Pereira earning a brutal knockout win in the first round. In his next middleweight fight, Pereira dethroned Israel Adesanya at UFC 281 just months later.

Pereira and Strickland went from foes to allies after their fight at UFC 276. Expect Strickland to be a key presence in Pereira’s camp as he prepares to potentially make UFC history.

Will Alex Pereira win a UFC heavyweight title? Let us know your predictions below!