Israel Adesanya has finally responded after his arch-nemesis-turned-friend Alex Pereira was featured on the new EA Sports’ UFC 6 cover. ‘Poatan’ was long rumored to be on the cover of the latest edition of the popular game. However, yesterday, EA Sports made it official that the former light heavyweight kingpin would feature on the standard edition, while Max Holloway would grace the ‘Ultimate Edition.’ After ‘The Last Stylebender’ found out about the announcement, he reacted to the new cover with a meme.

“Hey, that’s my shoulder,” Israel Adesanya posted a famous shoulder meme video clip from the Amazon Prime series, ‘The Boys.’ “Right there is my f—ing shoulder. They cut me from the picture. They just can’t cut me from the f—ing picture. They just can’t cut me out.”

Israel Adesanya definitely chose a funny clip to react to Pereira being named the cover star of UFC 6. He even captioned the video with Pereira’s catchphrase, “CHAMAAA!” But what did the former two-time middleweight champion mean with that viral meme reference? If you look closely at the cover of the game, Adesanya’s shoulder is clearly visible alongside ‘Poatan’, who is shown throwing a left hook.

It’s not totally clear which fight they took it from, since they fought twice in the UFC. Yet, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that EA used the moment of Alex Pereira defeating Adesanya at UFC 281 for the third time across two sports, rather than their last fight at UFC 287, where ‘The Last Stylebender’ knocked out the Brazilian in the second round.

That said, there could be another reference to this clip in which the main character is sitting in a bar. If you know the rivalry between the two UFC stars, it began with Adesanya claiming that Pereira would be sitting in a bar, reflecting on his past struggles with alcohol. ‘The Last Stylebender’ went on to become a UFC star despite the ‘Poatan’ defeating him twice in kickboxing. This was a statement that helped spark the Brazilian’s entry into the UFC.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Adesanya has already graced the UFC game cover twice. He featured on UFC 4 alongside Jorge Masvidal, and later on UFC 5’s deluxe edition. This time, Pereira earns his first cover appearance after winning the championship at light heavyweight. However, after the announcement, some fans are already talking about the so-called “EA Sports curse,” especially with ‘Poatan’ about to face Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250 in his first bout at heavyweight.

The MMA world will find out if the “curse” strikes again on June 14. But ahead of the clash, UFC game fans have something to look forward to, as the newest edition promises several exciting features before its release.

UFC 6 will provide some great features for initial pre-orders

For UFC game lovers, EA Sports has already broken its tradition of releasing the game exclusively on consoles. This time, players can also enjoy the game on their PCs. However, before its release on June 19, which comes soon after the UFC White House event, pre-orders are already live, and buyers can get some exciting perks.

According to ACD MMA’s post on X, pre-order customers will get early access to the game on June 12, well before its official launch. Those who purchase the Ultimate Edition will receive “8 new fighters” on the roster. However, only two will be available initially, while the remaining six will be added later.

Moreover, two new game modes are expected to be introduced, which players can access in Winter 2026 and Summer 2027. On top of that, players will also be able to unlock VIP emojis in the game.

With Alex Pereira as the face of the game and a new PC audience joining the fray, UFC 6 is positioned to surpass its predecessors in both sales and impact.