Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira
UFC middleweight fighter, Alex Pereira suffered a devastating knockout loss to champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 but still believes he is the better mixed martial artist.
After his knockout loss, the Braziian announced that he is moving to the light heavyweight division of the UFC but Pereira still thinks that he is better than Adesanya.
In a recent Instagram post, Pereira shared a video emphasizing why he is still the better fighter, despite Adesanya’s win At the UFC 287.
“We’re the best but I’m still the best. But the number speaks 3×1,” Pereira wrote, referring to his 3 wins over Adesanya compared to Adesanya’s 1 victory over him.
Nigerian-born fighter Adesanya, who had an impressive 11-win streak in kickboxing, faced Alex Pereira for the first time at Glory of Heroes 1 in Shenzhen, China, on April 2, 2016. Pereira emerged victorious via unanimous decision. Adesanya had the opportunity to redeem himself in a rematch at Glory of Heroes 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 4, 2017.
However, ‘Poatan’ defeated Adesanya with a left hook knockout in the third round. The long-standing rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira was reignited in a professional MMA bout at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022, in New York. Unfortunately, Adesanya lost his middleweight title to Pereira in the fifth round via technical knockout.
However, Adesanya got his revenge when he faced Pereira again at UFC 287 on April 8, 2023. With a stunning knockout victory in the second round, ‘The Last Stylebender’ reclaimed his UFC middleweight championship title, marking a triumphant moment in his career.
Whether Pereira gets another shot at Adesanya or fades from title contention remains to be see but there is no questioning Pereira’s belief in himself as the superior fighter, despite the setback.
