Could there be a championship match between Adesanya and Pereira sooner rather than later? Although he didn’t mention, “The Last Stylebender” did say that a date had been decided upon.
Alex Pereira will be Israel Adesanya’s opponent for his upcoming middleweight championship defense.
Adesanya and Pereira recently participated in UFC 276 on July 2. But given that their victories significantly transformed neither, we may see the two former kickboxers square off in the Octagon sooner than one might anticipate.
Adesanya wants to defend his title against old kickboxing for Alex Pereira despite going the distance in his last four UFC fights and without a finish in over two years. Pereira knocked out Sean Strickland on the UFC 276 program, moving up to No. 6 in the middleweight rankings with the victory, and put himself in a prime position to face Adesanya.
Adesanya said he would be facing Pereira next in a new 25-minute interview posted on Izzy’s YouTube channel. He also hinted at a potential date for the bout.
“Yes. How soon do I need it? We have a date,” he declared. “We’ve already determined that, and we’re making plans. We hope it.
There are several pay-per-view events where an Adesanya vs. Pereira bout may be the main event because the UFC’s pay-per-view calendar is only set up for UFC 278: Usman vs. Edwards 2 in August.
On September 10th, UFC 279 will take place, then on October 8th, UFC 280. On October 22, UFC 281 will occur in Abu Dhabi in early November. We can anticipate a solid return to Madison Square Garden in New York.
It may happen sooner rather than later, given Adesanya’s disappointment with his “off night” versus Cannonier.
In the same interview, Adesanya added, “I’m like, I just know I could have put him away in spectacular fashion. And it just sounds like “f—k!” I detest eating my own words, especially if it has nothing to do with individuals. I’m thinking, “F—k!” I won the battle. A good battle ensued. “Uugh, and I could have done better,” is something I detest. And I did, giving it my all, but I could have done more.
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira both participated in kickboxing. Therefore Alex Pereira has a unique background going into the championship matchup. He previously defeated the champion twice. One was a decisive victory; a few rounds later, he eliminated Adesanya. Izzy would compete in her final kickboxing match before dedicating herself entirely to mixed martial arts.
Pereira, for his part, is anxious to show off his skills in the Octagon versus Adesanya.
At the UFC 276 post-fight news conference, Pereira remarked via a translator, “He’s going to have to look better next time.” “If he seems that way, it’s not good. He’s been keeping an eye on me growing. He is aware of my risk. He is aware of the danger he would be incurring. He will undoubtedly need to appear better. He’ll appear better, and I’ll make him win over his followers.