UFC champion Alex Pereira dislodged his arch-rival Israel Adesanya as middleweight kingpin when both clashed at UFC 281. The Brazilian fighter, who transitioned late to MMA in his career, again reigned supreme in their encounter and took home the UFC gold. History prevailed over the determination of ‘The Last Stylebender’ as he once again fell to the left hand of ‘Poatan’. After the New Zealander failed in his second endeavor to overcome his boogeyman, he looked elsewhere to groom his fighting career. Therefore, he made his UFC debut in 2018 and climbed up the ranks to claim the championship within a short stretch. While the Auckland resident enjoyed success at the top of 185 lbs, his worst fear came true when the Sao Paulo native followed him in UFC. However, he could blame no one besides himself, as his comments motivated his adversary to pursue him.

Notably, the middleweight kingpin disclosed the reason behind his switch after cementing his legacy in Glory. The 35-year-old fighter attributed it to the 2020 interview that Adesanya did, in which he domineered him. As a result, these comments drove him to opt for new challenges.

Alex Pereira credits Israel Adesanya’s interview that made him join UFC

The former Glory champion, during his appearance in UFC 287 Countdown, admitted, “When Israel Adesanya joined the UFC, I started taking a close look because I had interest in fighting in MMA.”

Following this, he added, “There is a video of an interview with Israel Adesanya that motivated me so much. I felt challenged. And whenever there’s a challenge, no one can hold me back. I wanted new challenges, and the UFC was it.”

Markedly, the former UFC champion’s dismissive comments came in an interview with Sporting News Australia. In the interview, the #1 ranked middleweight repulsively mentioned Pereira would brag about him beating Adesanya whenever he graced the Octagon.

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Adesanya’s interview comments fired up Pereira

The 23-2 record holder continued, “At the end of the day, no one knows who the f*ck he is. And he’s going to be that guy when I’m world champion, when I’m a legend, he’s going to be at some pub talking sh*t about, ‘I beat that guy one time.'”

These comments didn’t sit well with the former kickboxer, who eventually joined the promotion, had a quick rise, and went 3-0 over Adesanya.

Both fighters are scheduled to face off in their rematch at UFC 287 on April 8 in Miami.

Read More: Aljamain Sterling’s Coach Gives His Bold Prediction Ahead of Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira; Draws Parallel to Usman-Edwards Fight: “He’s Lost Three Times”

What do you think of these statements by UFC champion Alex Pereira about his MMA career? Do you believe the Brazilian will cling to his UFC gold at UFC 287? Let us know in the comments below.

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