Forget the Conor McGregor comparisons—Tallison Teixeira is firing back with a bold prediction for Alex Pereira's heavyweight debut, and it's one that could shake up the division.
As Pereira prepares to step into the Octagon against Ciryl Gane on June 14 in Washington, D.C., the buzz around his power at heavyweight is reaching a fever pitch. And Teixeira, a man who knows a thing or two about heavy hitters, isn't buying the doubt.
Recent chatter from Gilbert Burns on *Cortes de Sexto Round* raised eyebrows when he suggested that fighters don't always carry their knockout power when moving up a weight class. Burns pointed to Conor McGregor's struggles at welterweight against Nate Diaz—a stark contrast to his featherweight dominance—as a cautionary tale for Pereira.
But Teixeira, coming off his first career loss to the legendary Derrick Lewis (the UFC's all-time knockout king), has a front-row seat to Pereira's raw strength. And he's not mincing words.
"I believe that that won't be the case with Alex, man," Teixeira said, responding to the McGregor comparison in a translated interview. "I say this because I've trained with heavyweights, I've trained with the Olympic boxing team—I don't think I've ever felt anyone with the same power in their hands as him."
That's no small praise from a man who's shared the cage with Lewis, the sport's most prolific finisher. Teixeira's firsthand experience gives his words weight, especially as Pereira gears up for an interim title fight against Gane—a former interim champion himself, who secured the belt with a dominant win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265 back in 2021.
The big question heading into this clash is how Pereira will handle the speed and movement of a seasoned heavyweight like Gane. But Teixeira has seen enough in training to believe his partner will rise to the occasion.
His prediction? After using the first round to dial in on Gane's rhythm and pace, Pereira will close the show early in the second. But don't be surprised if it ends even sooner.
"If Alex's hand connects in the first round, he [Gane] won't be able to handle it," Teixeira warned.
With the heavyweight division heating up and an interim title on the line, all eyes will be on Pereira's power—and whether it truly makes the jump. If Teixeira's assessment is anything to go by, we might be in for a spectacular finish.