In the recent UFC 287 event held in Miami, a thrilling showdown took place between Israel Adesanya and ‘Poatan.’ This marked their fourth encounter, with the Brazilian fighter securing two wins in their previous kickboxing matches.
Fast forward to UFC and their initial MMA bout in November also resulted in Pereira claiming victory with a fifth-round knockout and capturing the gold.
Nevertheless, their rematch in Miami last month witnessed a spectacular turn of events. Adesanya, the former champion, delivered a devastating second-round knockout, reclaiming the middleweight title and claiming a stake in their rivalry.
Although the rivalry is seemingly concluded, Pereira has decided to move up to the light-heavyweight division.
In recent news, Alex has been scheduled to face Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291 in July. Israel Adesanya, in a YouTube channel interview, shared his reaction to this fight announcement. The reigning middleweight champion appeared skeptical about Pereira’s chances against the Polish former champion.
Israel Adesanya is excited about Alex vs Jan
It’s worth noting that Adesanya himself suffered a loss to Blachowicz in March 2021. During the YouTube video, Israel refrained from making a prediction but expressed the belief that Jan would likely dominate Pereira on the ground.
“I think Jan is going to take him down and beat him up there,” Israel Adesanya stated in the video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “I think Jan will stand with him for a bit. But, eventually, just get him to the fence or try and take him down the way he took me down. I don’t think he’s going to shoot, so he’s either going to get him to the fence.”
He continued, “…Yeah, he did it at the right times and he took me down. So he could get caught coming in, it depends. What if he gets him down? What if he can keep him down? I don’t know, we’ll have to see. I don’t know, I’m not doing a f*cking prediction for this fight. But right now it’s funny, I think it’s a nice matchup to me.”
Alex Pereira tightens himself for his return
Alex is set to make his comeback to the octagon at UFC 291, where he will face Jan Blachowicz. This fight comes after Pereira’s defeat to the ‘Last Stylebender’ in April during UFC 287.
Pereira undoubtedly aims to make a strong impression in the division, and what better way to do so than by making a statement against a former champion like Blachowicz. Having trained alongside Glover Teixeira, who defeated Blachowicz at UFC 267 to claim the light heavyweight title, Alex hopes to gain an extra edge.
While acknowledging the skills and danger posed by his opponent, Pereira sees this fight as a favorable opportunity for himself. He expressed his thoughts on the matchup during a recent announcement on his YouTube channel.
Do you think Adesanya and Alex should fight for a fourth time? Let us know in the comment section below.
