Plinio Cruz narrows his eyes and appears instantly into the digital camera when he’s requested what makes Alex Pereira completely different from different fighters.
Cruz is Pereira’s long-time coach, who has been by his aspect for almost all of his exceptional profession.
He slowly raises his finger and factors at his head earlier than answering.
“I am not evaluating him, I am not being cocky, however that is an instance. Isaac Newton years in the past had concepts that the church did not perceive as a result of he was forward of his time,” Cruz tells BBC Sport.
“After I first began working with Alex round 2017 he used to inform me issues that solely now are beginning to click on in my mind.
“I used to be teaching him with out actually understanding the which means behind issues, due to how far forward he sees the sport.
“Now I will coach him a lot better as a result of we’ve that connection. However a reference to a median fighter takes months – with him it took years.”
When Brazil’s Pereira joined the UFC in 2021, he arrived as a two-division world champion in kickboxing promotion Glory.
In just below 4 years since his UFC debut, he has repeated that feat, successful the middleweight and light-heavyweight belts and rising into one of many promotion’s largest stars.
The 38-year-old’s aura was dimmed barely when he misplaced the light-heavyweight title to Russia’s Magomed Ankalaev in March – however he has a shot at redemption.
At UFC 320 in Las Vegas on Saturday, Pereira might reclaim that belt when he faces 33-year-old Ankalaev in a rematch.
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