Daniel Cormier marvels at Alex Pereira’s incredibly quick success in UFC: ‘It’s unheard of’

Daniel Cormier is perplexed by the rapid ascension of Alex Pereira in the UFC.

Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) secured the vacant light heavyweight title with a knockout victory over Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 this past weekend, becoming one of only nine two-weight champions in the history of the promotion. With just 11 MMA bouts under his belt, including seven in the promotion, Pereira has already claimed UFC titles at light heavyweight and middleweight.

Given Pereira’s limited experience in MMA, Cormier is astounded by his ability to capture two UFC belts in such a short period of time.

“His ability to find his shots, his ability to adjust when he’s in trouble, his ability to just win,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “This man has 11 MMA fights, seven UFC fights, and he’s won two belts. It’s unheard of.”

Cormier is also impressed by the relationship between Pereira and his coach, former UFC light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira.

“You know what’s even more special to me? Watching Glover Teixeira react in the way that he does when Alex Pereira does something special,” Cormier continued. “He is his mentor, Alex Pereira is his protege. So, there is no jealousy. It’s all happiness, it’s all support, and I love the relationship between these two.”

In the fight-ending sequence, Pereira clipped Prochazka with a short counter then rained down numerous elbows, which caused Prochazka to go limp. The stoppage was debated by many but not by Prochazka.

“Would we have have liked to see him take a little more damage? Absolutely, it’s a title fight, but I have no problem with it,” Cormier said. “Dude will work his way back to a championship opportunity. It’s only a matter of time.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie