After months of online back and forth, Israel Adesanya finally reclaimed his middleweight title from Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 287. ‘The Last Stylebender’ proved why he is considered one of the greatest fighters of this generation by finishing Pereira in the second round, seemingly putting an end to their infamous rivalry.

While a section of fans clamors for a third MMA bout between the two, Adesanya, during his post-fight conference, didn’t seem too keen on facing the Brazilian in a rematch; at least for the time being. Explaining his reasoning behind that decision, the 33-year-old sent out a message to his arch-nemesis along with a chilling warning to anyone having to deal with ‘Poatan’ in the future.

Israel Adesanya addresses immediate rematch with Alex Pereira

Despite the scores being tied at 1-1, the New Zealander dismissed talks about giving Pereira an immediate rematch. Explaining why he wouldn’t want to do that, the middleweight champ displayed the extreme confidence he carried during his first reign as the champion.

Claiming that the Brazilian was fast-tracked to the title shot, Adesanya stated that it was his desire to face the challenge of fighting Pereira that made him accept the fight the first time.

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“He fought one top-five, but you know he did well. Fought some all-right guys and beat [Sean]Strickland. I was like, okay fine, there’s no one else. I was looking for that challenge. The guy that beat me in kickboxing. I was looking for that challenge. That’s why I took that fight.” he explained.

Emphasizing that Pereira had to go back and work his way up again, the 33-year-old pointed out the number of title defenses that he had during his time as a champion.

 “My other belt will have seven f****g gems on it, you know. So I did the hard yards, and I earned my rematch. Now he’s going to do the hard yards if he wants to do that.” he stated.

Technically, the middleweight champ does have a point. But ultimately, the final decision rests on the matchmakers and what they feel will be a good decision for the division going ahead.

Adesanya on Pereira’s future in the UFC

Talking along the same lines, Adesanya also revealed what the future had in store for his nemesis. Explaining that Pereira would probably not choose to do the “hard yards” as he did, he revealed ‘Poatan’ would eventually end up moving up a division.

While doing so, ‘The Last Stylebender’ also gave credit to the Brazilian; warning Pereira’s future opponents to be wary of him.

“…go cause problems at 205 and good luck to everybody else because he’s a m*****f****r  to deal with.” he expressed.

“I Feel Incredibly Honored” – Joe Rogan Reflects on Experiencing Israel Adesanya’s Victory Over Alex Pereira Live at UFC 287

Despite whatever the future holds, there’s no denying that the rivalry between the two probably stands as one of the most entertaining and riveting ones that MMA fans had the opportunity to experience.

Watch This Story: The Saga of Bad Blood Between Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya