UFC fans have been witness to a number of noted rivalries over time. Whether it’s the coveted Chael Sonnen-Anderson Silva rivalry or the noted rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov, the beef coming out of these enmities has become massive fight sellers multiple times. A lot of fans would also agree that the noted rivalry between the UFC Middleweights Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira would also make its spot among the top feuds in the history of the promotion.

While the number of noted conflicts in the UFC is quite a few, the Adesanya-Pereira rivalry is different from the others in a number of ways. The roots of this rivalry can be traced back to their days as kickboxers. There is hardly any other rivalry in the company that started at a different sport of a different promotion and continued till the UFC. This coveted feud between the former UFC Middleweight king and the current UFC Middleweight champ began at the noted international kickboxing promotion ‘Glory Kickboxing’ in the year 2016.

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira I

Israel Adesanya’s nightmare-like conflict against Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira started off at the ‘Glory of Heroes’ event held in China. ‘The Last Stylebender’ started off the bout in a dominant fashion and outstruck his archrival, Pereira. He landed several significant shots in the earlier rounds. However, Pereira also began throwing in his combinations just a few minutes after the beginning.

Making the bout even more interesting, Pereira also connected with several combinations. Further, both combatants showcased a slowing down trend in the final rounds. But neither of them was able to capitalize on the situation. In the end, the judges decided to declare the results in favor of the Brazilian.

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However, Adesanya felt that he should have won the bout. In a post-fight interview with ‘MMA News’ prior to UFC 276, Adesanya weighed back on his first clash with Pereira. He stated, “I fu**ed this guy up in the first fight. Not crazy, but the judges gave it to him.” The controversy around the decision of the bout clearly pointed out the possibility of a rematch.

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira II

After his victory over Adesanya, Pereira picked up ramped up quite a few victories and claimed the Glory Kickboxing Middleweight Championship. But this also made the chances of a rematch even brighter. In the meantime, Adesanya also rose up his ranks and became the #1 contender for the Glory Kickboxing Middleweight Championship.

“It Frees Me Completely”: Israel Adesanya Comes Clean on His Third Loss to Alex Pereira

The touted rematch between the two was finally fixed and scheduled for March 2017. The opportunity for ‘The Last Stylebender’ to avenge his controversial loss against ‘Poatan’ had finally arrived. But the reality turned out to be rather appalling for Adesanya. Despite starting off the bout strongly and pressurizing Pereira to the corner a couple of times, ‘Izzy’ was knocked down to the canvas by a devastating left hook by Pereira in the final round of the bout.

After his loss, Adesanya stated, “It’s a beautiful story for him. In his backyard, down two rounds, in the third round he comes and knocks me out”. Back then, it was also the first time that Izzy had been knocked out in his combat sports career.

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira III at UFC 281

‘Izzy’s’ second defeat against Pereira marked the end of his kickboxing career. The fighter then transitioned to MMA and was signed by the UFC in 2018. He cut through almost every UFC Middleweight on the roster, claiming the UFC Middleweight Championship to his name. However, Adesanya’s archrival also made his way into the UFC in 2021. It helped the UFC as it added another worthy contender to the Middleweight division.

Pereira also picked up three straight wins post his UFC entry, which awarded him a shot at his archrival, Israel Adesanya’s, UFC Middleweight championship. Hence, the two were scheduled to face off at the main event of UFC 281 on 13 November 2022 with the Middleweight gold on the line.

This time, too, Adesanya started off quite strong. He had also approached mighty close to his unfulfilled dream of defeating ‘Poatan’ as he landed a stiff straight right and followed it up with a left hook at the end of the first round that wobbled ‘Poatan’. But Pereira was saved by the bell which signaled the end of the round right at that point.

However, ‘The Brazilian’ started showcasing his prowess in the later rounds of the bout. He devastated Pereira’s dream of defeating him as he scored a standing KO over the then UFC Middleweight king in the final round. ‘Poatan’ also snatched ‘Izzy’s’ UFC Middleweight Championship with this victory.

The UFC 287 may be Israel Adesanya’s last chance to avenge his losses

Despite three losses against Pereira, ‘Izzy’ has stated that he doesn’t believe in giving up. He also revealed that he wanted to fight Pereira until he defeats him. Adesanya’s UFC 281 performance also had the UFC authorities convinced that he deserves a rematch. Hence, ‘The Last Stylebender’ was granted yet another opportunity to regain his lost UFC Middleweight title and avenge his losses against ‘Poatan’ at the UFC 287 scheduled for 8 April 2023.

Watch this Story – Five times Alex Pereira mocked rival Israel Adesanya ahead of UFC 281

Many would agree that Adesanya has nothing to lose at this point. Pereira had taken away a lot from him, including his reputation in the UFC. It may propel ‘Izzy’ to become carefree and put out a performance of his lifetime. However, his fans will evidently be desperate to see the UFC Middleweight Championship around his waist.

Do you also want ‘The Last Stylebnder’ to reclaim the UFC Middleweight throne?