Top-of-the-line minds in the sport dissects Alex Pereira’s title-losing performance.
Every MMA fan fancies themselves as a pundit, even though it’s a protected bet that not lots of us will ever come near the experience and insight of Tristar Gym’s Firas Zahabi.
Coach to the legendary Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre and countless other top-tier UFC talent, Zahabi definitely knows his stuff – so what did he must say about Alex Pereira’s title defeat this past weekend?
Firas Zahabi dissects Alex Pereira’s performance at UFC 313
Breaking down the UFC 313 most important event via the Tristar Gym YouTube channel, Firas Zahabi began his dissection by admitting “It wasn’t probably the most exciting fight, but still, it was an incredible result.”
Whilst the 205lb title scrap wasn’t particularly entertaining to observe, Zahabi noted that he was ‘amazed’ with the incontrovertible fact that Magomed Ankalaev was capable of out-strike Alex Pereira throughout.
“It wasn’t probably the most exciting fight but here’s what’s amazing, Ankalaev outstruck him the entire fight… Pereira wasn’t throwing, although his corner was begging him to throw between rounds.
“Pereira was hesitant, after round one he was hesitant – he got stunned and ever since, he was hesitant… Now I even have my ideas as to why he was hesitant.”
The veteran coach argued that primarily speaking, Pereira was so scared of ending up on his back that he became unusually gun-shy on the feet – or as Zahabi defined it, ‘Paralysis by evaluation’.
“Primary, he was anxious in regards to the takedown, he didn’t wish to get taken down, it was on his mind and after he got stunned, now he’s anxious in regards to the striking and the takedowns – it was an excessive amount of.
“He needed to think twice before he throws, and he was like ‘paralysis by evaluation’. He was attempting to predict what Ankalaev was going to do… He never took the chance; he was highly conservative… He was overwhelmed by the specter of wrestling.”
Zahabi acknowledged that Pereira has good enough experience to take care of front-foot pressure fighters like Ankalaev but when combined with the takedown threat and early daze, it was all just an excessive amount of for ‘Poatan’ to handle.
“I assumed Pereira was going to choose up in rounds 4 and five like he has done previously… I feel he had an off night, and he was overwhelmed possibly by the specter of wrestling, but he didn’t throw much… It was crazy, and it surprised everybody.”
Firas Zahabi says Alex Pereira ‘at best’ lost the fight 48-47
Even now, five days after UFC 313, there are those that claim that Alex Pereira should’ve won the title fight on the judges’ scorecards – Zahabi argues it was ‘at best’ 3-2.
“Round one, Pereira did incredible. He was very dominant; it looked like Pereira was going to kick Ankalaev’s leg out… Nonetheless, the low kicks usually are not as powerful because he’s not kicking together with his power side.
“Round two, Ankalaev hurts Pereira, stuns him, puts him under pressure… Round three wasn’t a brilliant energetic round for either fighter but Ankalaev type of edged it out.
“What can I say, rounds 4 and five even for Ankalaev – I do know a number of people gave round three to Pereira, okay, give him round three, he still loses three-to-two at best.”
Heading into the fifth and final round, all three judges had Ankalaev one round up – two of the three officials scored round five to ‘Poatan’, culminating in a UD win for the Russian.
“It was a one-sided edging,” concluded Zahabi, simply celebrating the incontrovertible fact that Ankalaev did what needed to be done with a purpose to “just edge every round.”
