Weeks After Brutal KO of Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya Drops a Surprising Peek Into His Mentality Prior to Facing the Brazilian – “That’s My Only Goal”
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On April 8, Israel Adesanya orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in his long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira. The much-anticipated UFC rematch witnessed ‘The Last Stylebender’ emerging victorious against his arch-nemesis after enduring three consecutive losses in their combat sports history. These defeats served as a wake-up call for Adesanya, igniting a burning desire within him to turn the tables and rewrite the narrative.
The trolling and criticism he faced in regard to his hat-trick of losses added salt to his wounds. Hence, the New Zealander approached the fight with a profound realization that this could be his last opportunity to prove his worth against ‘Poatan’. And as the day of the rematch approached, Adesanya carried the weight of his previous defeats on his shoulders and emerged victorious with flying colors.
Recently, Adesanya unveiled a revelation about his mindset shift leading up to the UFC 287 rematch. He abandoned his usual approach and adopted an entirely new perspective. He confessed to caring little about anything, even the championship belt that Pereira had previously snatched away from him.
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Israel Adesanya fixated his focus on Alex Pereira
In his recent YouTube video, Adesanya delved deep into the thoughts that consumed his mind before stepping into the UFC octagon to face Pereira once again. The 33-year-old unveiled a crucial detail, revealing that he had reached a point of laser focus, solely fixated on defeating the Brazilian.
Speaking about his usual approach, Adesanya stated, “Normally I peek through… I’d set up the next fight, like, low-key. L’d be like, ‘Right after I take this guy, I want this guy next.’ I would do it already before the fight.”
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However, he made it clear that for this highly-anticipated rematch with Pereira, he had abandoned such practices. He declared, “But this fight [Alex Pereira rematch], I’ve done nothing of this side… I’m the one coming in to take this guy out. Like I said, f**k the belt. I’m coming to take this guy out. That’s my only goal. So I haven’t looked past him in that sense.”
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With this victory, Adesanya not only ended Pereira’s dominance in their rivalry but also reclaimed the coveted UFC middleweight world title. Meanwhile, the Brazilian, having experienced defeat, made the decision to move up in the weight category to the light heavyweight division. On the other hand, Adesanya is now anticipated to face the winner of the Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis fight, scheduled for UFC 290 on July 8.
Watch this story: WATCH: One of the Bloodiest UFC Fights Ever
Written by:
Edited by:
Rohini Kottu
