Sean Strickland joins Alex Pereira for UFC 307 camp, sends a message to Dricus du Plessis

Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is joining forces with Alex Pereira for the latter’s upcoming title defense in Salt Lake City.

Pereira will defend the UFC light heavyweight title against the surging Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 307 on October 5th. He returns to the Octagon after two successful title defenses this year, including on weeks’ notice at UFC 303.

On the way to becoming a two-division UFC champion, Pereira knocked out Strickland at UFC 276, a stunning finish in just his third UFC appearance. Four months later, he won the UFC middleweight title by defeating Israel Adesanya at UFC 281.

After their minutes-long clash, Pereira and Strickland have become friends in recent years. The two sides have trained together, particularly ahead of their matchups against Adesanya.

Strickland will serve as a key presence in Pereira’s camp ahead of the light heavyweight champion’s fight against his former Syndicate MMA teammate.