Alex Pereira's sparring partner suffers brutal first-round KO loss against 'Britain's Mike Tyson' on Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 card
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One of Alex Pereira’s previous sparring partners suffered a horrific knockout on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 undercard in Riyadh.
A heavyweight boxing behemoth who Alex Pereira previously sparred faced a surging contender on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 undercard on Saturday. In mere minutes, Pereira’s former sparring foe suffered defeat at the hands of teenage phenom Moses Itauma.
Demsey McKean, who Pereira sparred with earlier this year, got finished by Itauma in the leadup to the Fury vs. Usyk heavyweight main event rematch. In the first round of the fight, Itauma landed a massive overhand left that sent McKean collapsing in the ring, twisting and turning 180 degrees as a result of a single punch.
The 19-year-old Itauma is one of heavyweight boxing’s rising stars and has been compared to Boxing Hall of Famer Mike Tyson. The win over McKean moved him to 11-0 in his professional boxing career with nine wins by knockout.
Just months ago, Pereira and McKean met in the ring via a sparring session leading up to Pereira’s UFC 307 return. The two sides traded blows in sparring footage you can watch below, although the tactics and experience of McKean were enough to keep the always-dangerous Pereira out of range.
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Demsey McKean sparred Alex Pereira just months before horrific knockout at Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2
Pereira would go on to finish Khalil Rountree Jr. in the UFC 307 main event to retain his light heavyweight championship. Before making the full-time transition to MMA, Pereira made a name for himself in kickboxing, most notably his one-punch knockout power.
Pereira has sparred with several top boxers during his combat sports career, although he has yet to make a professional boxing appearance. He also sparred with Zhilei Zhang earlier this year and Zhang was complimentary of Pereira’s potential in the ring.
McKean was briefly linked to a potential heavyweight fight with Fury before his back-to-back losses. Before the Itauma fight, McKean suffered his first career defeat against Filip Hrgović last year by 12th-round TKO.
Alex Pereira finished 2024 as a ‘Fighter of the Year’ frontrunner
After finishing Rountree at UFC 307, Pereira will turn his attention to a likely clash with the surging light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev. Just weeks after Pereira’s win, Ankalaev secured the No. 1 contender slot by defeating Aleksandar Rakić at UFC 308 by unanimous decision.
Just a handful of fights into his MMA career, Pereira has cemented himself as a global superstar, becoming the UFC’s fastest to earn championships in multiple weight classes. He needed just 11 bouts to secure belts at middleweight and light heavyweight, becoming the first UFC fighter to ever earn both titles.
Despite Ankalaev being the most logical option for Pereira’s next opponent, Pereira has turned a cold shoulder to the Russian juggernaut, opening the door to other contenders. A timeframe for Pereira’s next UFC title defense should be solidified in the coming weeks.
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