While Alex Pereira is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Chael Sonnen is worried for his longevity.
Since his arrival in the UFC, ‘Poatan’ has looked nothing short of scintillating, rendering almost every opponent he’s faced unconscious with his thunderous left hook.
Pereira has looked so impressive, that even Oleksandr Usyk wants a piece of him.
However, he may not be able to continue competing as long as he’d like if Sonnen’s concerns are valid.
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Chael Sonnen doesn’t like that Alex Pereira doesn’t wear headgear
In order to scale both the Glory and UFC mountains, Alex Pereira has had to hone his craft over countless hours in the gym.
However, in a new sparring clip, the Brazilian isn’t wearing anything to protect his head, which has alarmed Chael Sonnen.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘The American Gangster’ explained: “So, Pereira puts out this sparring video, and he’s in there with a professional boxer, and the guy is very good. There was no headgear — it bothers me.
“I came through the era where we truly believed the harder you got hit in practice, the more you could take in the ring.
“Randy Couture was the captain in the gym that I came through — he never wore headgear. Randy never became fried eggs; he never got CTE. However, Randy preached controlled sparring, taking care of your opponent.
“When I met up with Clayton Hires, there was a day I forgot my headgear; it just wasn’t in my bag. He sent me home.
“Randy’s point was spot on, but Randy did me a huge favor by making sure I always had my protective gear on.
“When I’m watching Alex Pereira sparring, logically, I can’t accept that time is getting added to his career, that he’s getting better.
“I want Alex to wear headgear; I don’t know what to do.”
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Alex Pereira was reduced to tears by fan battling cancer, but got a huge surprise in emotional reunion
While Pereira is an animal inside the octagon, he recently exhibited a much softer side.
Last year, the power puncher headed to Australia to offer his support to children with cancer.
During his stay, he met a young Muay Thai practitioner, and accepted his request to shave his head.