Israel Adesanya isn’t leaving any stone unturned forward of his huge UFC 287 rematch with Alex Pereira subsequent weekend (Sat., April 8, 2023).
There was one reoccurring theme between Adesanya and Pereira in all of their fight sports activities collisions, and sadly for “The Final Stylebender,” that theme is Pereira successful. The pair fought twice in kickboxing earlier than their latest — and first — encounter in combined martial arts (MMA) this previous Nov. 2022. Gaining a stable lead via the primary 4 and a half rounds of their UFC 281 conflict, Adesanya in the end succumbed to a wild comeback effort from “Poatan” by way of technical knockout (watch highlights).
UFC 287 marks chapter 4 of the Pereira vs. Adesanya rivalry in totality, and Adesanya feels it’s his closing alternative to reclaim the Middleweight championship.
“I’m searching, and I imply that in each sense of the phrase,” Adesanya mentioned on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA Junkie). “The mindset is completely different, positively. Even [coach] Eugene [Bareman] and I are on the identical web page. The mindset is unquestionably completely different.
“I prefer it as a result of it places all of it on me, and it’s type of poetic in a manner,” he concluded. “One life: Roll the cube. That is my final shot, and I’m going to offer all of it I’ve received in each sense of the phrase.”
The Pereira loss in Nov. 2022 was solely the second of Adesanya’s spectacular 25-fight profession (his first at Middleweight). For Brazil’s Pereira, he blazed his technique to the highest of the division very quickly in any respect, successful his first three UFC bouts in lower than one 12 months to earn his title shot. Outdoors of his Oct. 2015 debut in opposition to Quemuel Otton, the reigning champion has been flawless in his eight-fight profession so far.
