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If finishing Jiri Prochazka once wasn’t enough, accomplishing the feat a second time made it crystal clear: Alex Pereira is the undisputed light heavyweight king.
“Poatan” dispatched his Czech foe with a head kick and follow-up punches just 13 seconds into Round 2 of their headlining encounter at UFC 303 on Saturday night. It was the Brazilian’s second successful title defense at 205 pounds and his fourth victory overall since debuting in the weight class last July. While Magomed Ankalaev looms as a potential challenger, Pereira has vanquished virtually everyone else in the UFC — Prochazka, Jamahal Hill and Jan Blachowicz — who is close to him in the rankings.