Is Ilia Topuria a pound-for-pound harder puncher than Alex Pereira? Exploring the UFC star's knockout power

Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira have taken the MMA world by storm over recent years. Both men have seen themselves conquer their respective divisions, whilst leaving behind a trail of unconscious opponents on the canvas behind them.

'Poatan' is feared for his kickboxing ability, which is rounded off by his devastating signature left-hook. The Brazilian has put away the likes of Israel Adesanya, Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill during his career so far, making him one of the most feared men in the promotion.

For Ilia Topuria, the Georgian-Spaniard has only recently been able to demonstrate his boxing prowess to the world. Prior to making his UFC debut in 2020, the 28-year-old won eight straight fights, winning seven of them via submission. It wasn't until he stepped into a UFC octagon that his knockout power was put on full show.

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Is Ilia Topuria a pound-for-pound harder puncher than Alex Pereira?

Ilia Topuria made his UFC debut against Youssef Zalal and went on to win via unanimous decision. He would then win his next four fights with a finish, knocking out out three opponents before submitting Bryce Mitchell.

Topuria's next bout against Josh Emmett would once again go to a decision, with both men earning a Fight of the Night bonus as 'La Leyenda' took home the win on the scorecards. Topuria's next two fights are perhaps his most impressive though, as not only did he go on to become the featherweight champion, he etched his name in history by both whom he defeated and the manner in which they fell.

First, Alexander Volkanovski returned to the 145-pound division in the hopes of defending his title. Topuria, however, had other ideas. After a fairly back-and-forth first round, Topuria opted to sit in the pocket and demonstrate his power, knocking Volkanovski out cold with a vicious 1-2 combination.

His first title defense would then be against fan favorite Max Holloway last October. Much of the build-up to the fight was based on Holloway's chin, as the Hawaiian native had never been knocked out throughout his career. Once again though, Topuria would be the one making headlines as he again sat in the pocket and traded wildly with Holloway, landing a clean left-hook that would drop him to the canvas.

So who is the harder hitter between Topuria and Pereira? Well if we take a look at their UFC careers, Topuria has won eight fights, five by knockout, two via decision and one by submission. For Pereira, the Brazilian has nine wins, seven via knockout and two by decision.

Whilst the stats would suggest both men are on par with one another, Ilia Topuria could perhaps be considered the harder puncher, as he has used strict boxing for his victories, whereas Pereira has often combined his kicks with his striking to find a finish.