When Alex Pereira steps into the Octagon, he knows a thing or two about what it takes to win at the highest level. The two-division UFC champion has his eyes on Saturday's UFC 328 main event, where Sean Strickland faces an uphill battle against undefeated middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. And Pereira isn't shy about who he's backing.

Strickland enters as a heavy underdog against the 15-0 Chimaev, but Pereira sees potential where others might not. The pair recently trained together at the UFC Performance Institute, giving Pereira a front-row seat to Strickland's grit and determination. "Before our fight, I saw him differently," Pereira recalled, referencing their 2022 clash at UFC 276 where he knocked out Strickland to earn his own middleweight title shot. "But once he stepped into the Octagon, you could see it on his face. He was a different guy. He's a warrior."

Pereira's advice for Strickland is as sharp as his left hook: stay composed, keep pressing forward, and lean on what works. "He's always moving forward, firing that jab. That's a great weapon he has," Pereira said on UFC Countdown. "He's got to stay alert, watch out for the takedowns, and use his jab and front kick."

For Strickland, it's a chance to prove that experience and heart can overcome overwhelming odds. Pereira, who went on to end Israel Adesanya's dominant reign with a TKO at UFC 281, knows the power of an upset. Now, he's chasing history himself, aiming for a third division title when he faces Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight belt at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.

Whether Strickland can channel that warrior spirit against Chimaev remains to be seen, but one thing's for certain: Pereira will be watching closely, hoping his training partner pulls off the shocker.