It’s the title clash that feels as much like a movie as it does like real life. UFC 281 will feature reigning UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, who has never lost a fight in his weight division. Opposite “The Last Stylebender” will be the man who defeated him when he was fighting for GLORY kickboxing, Alex Pereira, who took out the champ twice before he switched to MMA. Pereira, in an interview with Sportskeeda, promised that he’d knock Israel Adesanya out cold once again.
“I can tell you that it will be impossible for him not to engage, if he’s within my reach I will hurt him. And five rounds? He won’t make it five rounds.
Alex Pereira: Izzy “Won’t Make It” Five Rounds Against Him
And I come close, you can see in the fights that I come close, I have a very good defense. He will want to attack or counterattack, but I can hurt him with my defense too.”
Pereira continued, discussing his tactical approach to the fight. He’s clearly been watching plenty of tape in preparation for the Adesanya fight, and noticed that the champ’s kicks have presented a serious issue to all other comers. It’s a puzzle that Alex Pereira believes he has solved.
“I saw in his fights that he kicks a lot and the guys don’t have the right time, the right time to block, you can hurt him with a block.
The guy kicked, you blocked, maybe he won’t kick anymore. He’s got a big weapon and I can sort of eliminate it early on, I’ll be close to him, if he doesn’t hit me he’ll get beaten, and if he hits me he’ll get as tired as me.”
Alex Pereira will ride a three-fight winning streak into the title shot. He boasts a pro MMA record of 6-1, with his most recent appearance being a stunning first-round knockout victory over Sean Strickland. Pereira’s reputation as a vicious striker followed him into the UFC, and he delivered on that promise upon debut, finishing his opponent with a flying knee.
Israel Adesanya, since he last fought Alex Pereira, has proved himself as one of the most elite strikers in the UFC. He has run through a who’s who of the middleweight division, piecing apart all opposition either by knockout or a controlled, steady decision. He’s never been finished in MMA, but that may change when he faces the last man to knock him out cold.
What’s your prediction for Adesanya vs Pereira? Will we see the first knockout loss of Israel Adesanya’s MMA career? Let us know what you think in the comments.
