Cejudo: Pereira's 'super, super suspect' takedown defense should be tested by Prochazka at UFC 295
Henry Cejudo sees a path to victory for Jiri Prochazka against Alex Pereira, but doubts he’ll use it.
Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) faces Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for the vacant light heavyweight title in Saturday’s UFC 295 main event in New York.
Cejudo thinks there’s a hole in Pereira’s grappling that Prochazka can expose. Pereira has been taken down eight times in six UFC fights, but having worked with Prochazka in the past, Cejudo doesn’t see him employing that strategy.
“Alex Pereira’s weaknesses, (takedown defense) is where I would be looking to expose,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “They’ve done a good job of finding the right opponents for him, where he’s been able to kind of cheat sheet or cut the line on everybody. But his takedown defense is super suspect. It’s not a little suspect – it’s super, super suspect.
“I do believe that this is where Jiri’s key of winning is. But knowing Jiri, he’s not just going to wrestle him. Jiri wants to have fun. Jiri wants to throw his elbows, his punches, his kicks. Jiri wants to do all of that, including bringing in the actual takedowns.
“The other thing with Alex Pereira, unfortunately, he’s not complete. He has been given these matchups that have really favored him.”
UFC 295 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.