Sometimes, sparring footage is just gym content. A few punches, some laughter, nothing serious. And then a short clip shows up online, and everyone starts talking about who looked terrified, who looked bigger, and who shouldn’t have agreed to spar in the first place. That is exactly what happened when a video of Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland training together went viral.
The two former rivals were going at it in the final seconds of a round, and fans instantly noticed that ‘Poatan’ completely dominated it all. So, before you know it, what was supposed to be light sparring quickly turned into another moment that the internet couldn’t stop talking about. And this time, ‘Tarzan’ ended up catching most of the jokes.
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Fans compare Sean Strickland’s sparring with Alex Pereira to his past gym beatdowns
In the clip, Alex Pereira begins to open up with strikes late in the round, forcing Sean Strickland to stay defensive until the action stops.
“He got me to drop my hand,” Strickland says as he laughs it off. “At that moment, I just said, ‘Nah, dude, we’re done.’”
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He even mocked the situation, imitating Alex Pereira’s promise of going light in this sparring round.
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“It’s light… we’re just gonna spar light,” Strickland mimicked.
But ‘Tarzan’ talking about sparring lightly? That did not sit well with fight fans. So, as expected, many quickly brought up Sean Strickland’s other sparring sessions, particularly those in which he went full power against influencers.
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“Notice how light he’s throwing with Alex compared to everybody else he spars with,” one fan wrote. Another added, “He wanna be tough with Sneako though,” referring to the controversial gym session in which Strickland bloodied the streamer despite towels being tossed in to stop him.
More joined in, bringing up the infamous sparring clip from 2024, as fans mocked Sean Strickland for begging for mercy. One fan wrote, “Sean is so p—-; he will go all out against Sneako but tuck his tail when sparring Alex 😂😂😂😂.” A fan added, “He wanna be tough w Sneako, though.”
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Several reactions focused on Alex Pereira’s size. Fans couldn’t ignore the Brazilian’s much bigger appearance since moving up to heavyweight, as he gears up to face Ciryl Gane for the interim title at UFC White House. “Look at the size difference. To think they once fought at 185 is crazy,” one comment read, while another said, “Alex looks massive. Must be nice not cutting weight anymore.”
More chimed in, as it got too hard to ignore the clear change in appearance. A fan wrote, “We look thick as FUHHHK,” while another added, “Bro, Poatan is fat as f—. ” Fat or not, there is no denying that this version of Alex Pereira surely looks scary, at least when standing next to Sean Strickland.
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There were also plenty of fans impressed by Alex Pereira’s form, especially his head movement that looks insanely fast for a heavyweight. “HW division is in trouble if he keeps moving like that.” One person said, while another joked, “He looks like he has even more power now.”
It’s quite amusing how these moments always circle back to their history. It’s amusing how these situations always go back to their past. ‘Poatan’ knocked Sean Strickland out cold in their UFC 276 fight back in 2022, and while they’re friendly now, videos like this remind fans why that result wasn’t a surprise.
And to be honest, even Alex Pereira isn’t too keen on forgetting his past fights as well, as ahead of his White House clash, he decided to honor one of his biggest rivals, Israel Adesanya, ahead of UFC Seattle.
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Periera puts one of the greatest MMA rivalries to an end
That old knockout over Strickland isn’t the only fight Alex Pereira still thinks about. As he prepares for another pivotal moment in his career, ‘Poatan’ also had time to look back on the rivalry that defined a big part of his journey: the one with Israel Adesanya. And this time, there was no trash talk or tension, just respect.
Ahead of Israel Adesanya’s return at UFC Seattle, the Brazilian powerhouse posted a message on Instagram, along with a video of his knockout loss at UFC 287, in which ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally got his revenge. Instead of ignoring it, Alex Pereira leaned into it.
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“Saturday is fight night once again,” he wrote. “Much respect to Israel Adesanya — we’ve shared the octagon and moments that became part of my journey.
“That loss taught me a lot; it pushed me to evolve not only as a fighter but as a man. I grew, matured, and used it as fuel to reach a higher level in the sport and in life.”
He further wished him well for his upcoming fight.
“Regardless of rivalry, I know what it means to step in there,” he added. “The years of work, the pressure, the sacrifice. That’s why I wish you a great fight. Go in focused and show your best.
“We keep evolving. See you at the top, CHAMA.”
After years of knockouts, rematches, and one of the most passionate rivalries in combat sports, it looks like both men have finally moved on — even if fans never really will.