UFC 295 technique breakdown: Alex Pereira's legendary left hook

Art by Chris Rini

No fighter is defined by a single technique, but every great fighter has a signature weapon. For Alex Pereira, that weapon is the left hook. 

As a kickboxer, Pereira developed a reputation as a devastating puncher, and a great many of his most devastating punches were left hooks. Unfortunately, that reputation, though well earned, has too often obscured Pereira’s true depth of skill. He is a more subtle, more creative, and more adaptive fighter than his violent highlight reel might lead you to believe.

Pereira can fight going forward and going backward, and he is just as comfortable fencing in open space. He can swarm, but he can also counter. And at 36 years of age, he is still adding new elements to an already impressive game, of which the left hook is still the perfect encapsulation, showcasing both his crushing power and his versatility.

It turns out Alex Pereira’s left hook is every bit as flexible as the man himself.