Daniel Cormier Warns Alex Pereira on Cornering Strickland
Before UFC 312 in Sydney in February 2025, Daniel Cormier questioned Alex Pereira’s plan to travel to Australia and corner Sean Strickland. Pereira was due to defend his light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 on March 8, four weeks later. Pereira made the trip and joined Strickland’s corner.
What Cormier meant by “risky”
Cormier’s concern, reported by MMA Fighting, centered on travel, the time-zone change and time away from Pereira’s regular camp. He questioned whether the trip could disrupt preparation for a title defense scheduled only weeks later.
Pereira and Strickland had fought in 2022, when Pereira won by first-round knockout. Strickland’s coach, Eric Nicksick, later said Pereira would join the corner for Strickland’s rematch with middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.
Cormier’s warning focused on the workload and short turnaround, not on Pereira’s relationship with Strickland or his ability to help from the corner.
Pereira chose to make the trip. His role in the corner did not determine either fight’s result.
The Sydney result and Pereira’s next fight
Pereira did travel to Sydney and was in Strickland’s corner for the rematch. Strickland lost a unanimous decision to du Plessis, with scorecards of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46. The official scorecards confirm the result. Du Plessis retained the middleweight title, and the bout played out over five rounds.
Pereira’s own title defense came four weeks later. Ankalaev defeated him by unanimous decision on March 8, 2025, to win the light heavyweight championship. The official scorecards list scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
Strickland’s loss and Pereira’s title defeat followed the Sydney trip, but neither result establishes that travel affected Pereira’s performance. The official UFC scorecards record the outcomes, while Cormier’s remarks remain a question about scheduling and preparation.
Sources
Tags: MMA
