Israel Adesanya has always prided himself on being ‘The Last Stylebender’. A fighter who controls the Octagon with precision, skill, and a mind as sharp as a blade. But when it came to Alex Pereira, things weren’t so simple. After three brutal losses to the Brazilian powerhouse, the Nigerian was forced to reckon with something more than just skill – the idea that Pereira wasn’t just winning, he was tapping into something otherworldly. Adesanya himself admitted that after his third loss to the reigning champ, he wondered, “How does he do this?” But what was it, really?

Adesanya, in a raw moment of honesty during his ESPN MMA interview, let the world in on his realization. “He’s more powerful beyond this realm,” he said. Powerful beyond the physical? Maybe a force that could mess with your head and your heart. As Adesanya reflected, “I just knew, I was like, ‘This guy is powerful’.” But he knew what he had to do, “I had to just lock in and really lock in with the spirits and believe in myself and get it going.”

Whoa, a little spiritual one-upmanship in a UFC rivalry? ‘The Last Stylebender’ is no rookie. If he’s saying the Brazilian’s power was more than just physical, we have to ask if the man was playing with dark forces.

Okay, so let’s zoom out and take a breath. We’re not talking about some cheesy voodoo curses here. But it’s hard not to draw into the narrative when a fighter like ‘Poatan’ is racking up victories in such a dominating, near-mystical fashion. And so it was – after knocking Alex Pereira out in the second round at UFC 287, Israel Adesanya shared that this victory wasn’t just about winning the fight.

“That moment was really important for me as a person, as a fighter,” he said, adding, “Even, f–k the fight, even the speech itself it was something that I just remember being in the shower just feeling happy when I visualized it.” If that doesn’t scream mental warfare, what does? Alex Pereira isn’t just an opponent, he is a mental mountain for Adesanya to scale – which he scaled eventually.

“Black Magic” or “Presence of a champion?” – Joe Rogan on Alex Pereira’s ‘dark forces’

But now, let’s take this down another rabbit hole. You’re probably wondering, where did all these “black magic” accusations even come from? Well, you’re not the only one asking that question. Enter Jiri Prochazka, who earlier made headlines with his own bizarre claims that Alex Pereira’s victories were somehow linked to shamanic rituals.

But was it really black magic, or Shamanism as Prochazka claims, or just the sheer aura of a champion like Pereira that rattled his opponents? Joe Rogan, always the voice of reason (or sarcasm), chimed in during an interview with Prochazka. “But is it magic?” Rogan asked, clearly amused, adding, “Or is it just his presence as a champion?” ‘The Czech Samurai’, eventually admitted that the “magic” talk was all in his head. “That was something I really took to another level,” he confessed.

So, let’s stop and take stock for a moment. Was it truly magical energy that had Israel Adesanya in a mental headlock? It’s easy to lose yourself in the aura of champions like Alex Pereira. They walk into the arena with that ‘something special’ that makes everyone question their own abilities. And As Adesanya rightly put it, “He’s a powerful being but guess what? So am I,” making it clear that it wasn’t just about physical endurance, it was about locking in and believing in yourself.

What do you think, though? Was Jiri Prochazka right to entertain the idea of black magic? Or was he just at a crossroads in the presence of a fighter who knows no limits, spiritual or otherwise? Sound off in the comments below!