Alex Pereira lists what Sean Strickland must do to beat Khamzat Chimaev

Alex Pereira is rooting for Sean Strickland to pull off the upset against Khamzat Chimaev . Strickland (30-7 MMA, 17-7 UFC) is a big underdog in Saturday's UFC 328 ( Paramount+ ) main event against middleweight champion Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) at Prudential Center in Newark, N. J.

Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion Pereira has trained with Strickland in the past, and the pair linked up at the UFC Performance Institute recently. "Before our fight, I saw him differently," Pereira said of Strickland on UFC Countdown . "But once he stepped into the octagon, you could see it on his face.

He was a different guy. He's a warrior. The first time we trained together was after our fight, I learned a lot from those sessions.

He's got a lot of experience. He knows his craft. "He's always moving forward, firing that jab.