Israel Adesanya has made a shocking revelation about his upcoming rematch against Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
As we all know, ‘The Last Stylebender’ faced off against his arch-nemesis back in November of last year. Though he appeared to be ahead on the judges’ scorecards, Adesanya ultimately suffered a devastating TKO loss in the fifth round, losing his UFC middleweight championship and experiencing his first loss in the middleweight division.
Now, with his rematch against Pereira on the horizon, Adesanya is acutely aware of the stakes at play. Will he be able to reclaim his title and emerge victorious this time around?
Since suffering a heartbreaking loss to Pereira, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has been eagerly waiting for a chance to avenge his defeat. But he’s also keenly aware that this may be his last opportunity to reclaim the middleweight throne.
In a recently uploaded video on his YouTube channel, Adesanya opened up about his mindset heading into the UFC 287 bout against Pereira. His determination and focus are palpable, and it’s clear that he’s fully committed to emerging victorious this time around.
“I like it because it puts it all on me, and it’s kind of poetic in a way. One life, roll the dice. This is my last shot, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got in every sense of the word.”
The rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira is legendary in combat sports, having faced each other twice during their kickboxing days, with Pereira emerging victorious in both encounters. However, since Adesanya made the transition to MMA, he’s been waiting for the opportunity to settle the score. That chance will come at UFC 287, and ‘The Last Stylebender’ is confident that he can finally defeat his longtime rival.
Even though he has suffered three losses to the Brazilian in their kickboxing days, Adesanya is confident that he has what it takes to finally defeat Pereira in their upcoming UFC 284 rematch. In a recent media interview, ‘The Last Stylebender’ expressed his belief in his skills and preparation, stating that he is ready to go all-out and put on a show for his fans.
“I’ve never not been motivated to fight this guy, but for this one, I’ve put the pressure on myself. F**k the belt, f**k everything else, I have to beat this guy. That’s, I guess, my motivation – just beating him. Like I said, they can say whatever they want. It’s 1-0 or 3-0. I don’t keep score, I settle them and I just need one and I’m going to get it done.”
Nobody really knew what to expect from Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira’s battle when they squared off in the octagon for the first time in November of last year.
The fight ultimately went mostly in Adesanya’s advantage because up until the fifth round, he was dominating Pereira in almost every aspect of the fight.
Just under three minutes remained in the battle when “Poatan” unleashed a series of devastating blows on “The Last Stylebender.” As a result, the referee was forced to intervene.
It makes sense that Pereira’s punching power would be inside Adesanya’s mind going into their rematch the following weekend. Since nobody had even come close to eliminating “The Last Stylebender” before UFC 281, it was a major accomplishment.
The reality is that Adesanya will need to alter his strategy less than Pereira in order to prevail in this fight.
In essence, ‘The Last Stylebender’ can prevail in this fight if he can evade Pereira’s power punches like the plague, maintain distance, and pick at him with strikes while incorporating takedowns.
Given his defensive prowess, it ought to be simpler for him to escape the big shot than it ought to be for Pereira to make it, making Adesanya the favourite to win.
