Chael Sonnen believes Alex Pereira should be awarded Fighter of the Year if he succeeds in obtaining the light heavyweight title at UFC 295.
Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is scheduled to face Jiri Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) for the vacant 205-pound belt in the main event of UFC 295 on November 11 at Madison Sqaure Garden in New York.
At present, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is Sonnen’s Fighter of the Year. Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) achieved victory over featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski twice – once by decision and the other by first-round knockout at UFC 294.
Sonnen remarked on his YouTube channel, “The current leader for Fighter of the Year is very clear: It’s Islam Makhachev. No other fighter this year has taken out somebody to that degree. Islam only got two fights this year, but it was the same guy, Volkanovski, the undefeated, the unbeaten, the reigning world champion.
“While Islam slid past one, he then took on Volkanovski, who had another title defense and was the reigning, sitting world champion, and he didn’t get out of the first three minutes. The clear leader right now is Islam.”
However, if former middleweight champion Pereira can beat Prochazka and win a second UFC title after just seven fights in the octagon, Sonnen would bestow upon him the title of Fighter of the Year.
In 2023, Pereira lost his middleweight title to Israel Adesanya in April, then defeated ex-champ Jan Blachowicz in his light heavyweight debut in July. If he beats Prochazka on Saturday, Pereira will have held both the middleweight and light heavyweight belts in the span of 12 months.
“However, if Alex Pereira wins, he will within this calendar year – which is the specific dates of the question – have been the 185-pound champion and the 205-pound champion in the same calendar year, and therefore makes him Fighter of the Year per my vote,” Sonnen added.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.
Sarah Foster is your guide to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. With a deep understanding of MMA’s intricacies and a passion for the sport, she offers comprehensive coverage of MMA events, fighter profiles, and in-depth analysis of fights. Sarah’s commitment to the octagon ensures that readers stay engaged with the latest developments in the MMA world.
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