Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland: From Rivals to Friends in the UFC

Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland share one of the most unexpected friendships in the UFC. After their explosive knockout encounter at UFC 276 in 2022, the former opponents developed a genuine bond, eventually becoming training partners and supporting each other on fight night. Even though Pereira speaks Portuguese and Strickland speaks English, their friendship goes beyond language. Pereira went from working at a tire shop in Brazil to becoming a two-division UFC champion, while regularly helping Strickland improve his grappling and takedown defense. Strickland, once on the receiving end of Pereira's devastating knockout power, has since become one of his trusted training partners. Their friendship reached another level in 2025 when Pereira traveled all the way to Sydney to corner Strickland at UFC 312. From fierce rivals to loyal teammates, these two prove that respect can turn even the toughest opponents into unlikely friends.