Alex Pereira stepped into the spotlight with an incredible knockout victory over UFC middleweight Andreas Michailidis back in 2021. Following that, ‘Poatan’ never looked back as he cemented his legacy in the UFC by becoming a two-division world champion. What’s even more surprising is that he achieved this feat in just seven matches, something no fighter has ever done before. However, while his legendary status often leads to his name getting mentioned alongside Israel Adesanya, Pereira prefers to keep away from such comparisons.
Pereira’s only loss in the UFC came at the hands of Israel Adesanya. Fighting for the UFC Middleweight title, ‘Izzy’ knocked Pereira out in UFC 287. And thus, the Adesanya comparisons have always been a talking point for the Brazilian. Whether they admit it or not, the pair complete each other.
Without Israel Adesanya, we might never have seen Alex Pereira in the UFC or him fighting for a world title. In a recent interview with Laerte Viana, translated by Championship Rounds on X, ‘Poatan’ spoke about the comparisons. He said,
“I don’t know man. You have to see the criteria they use. Adesanya made several defenses, I couldn’t defend the middleweight belt…But there are things I did, I was a double champion. He tried but didn’t”
Alex Pereira then spoke about how he does not care about the legacy. His aim was to inspire people and make an impact on their lives. Pereira’s way of thinking makes sense because comparing the legacies of two different fighters will always be subjective.
While the comparisons will go on, fight fans have been speculative of yet another Adesanya vs. Pereira showdown in the UFC. Sadly enough, that dream might not be fulfilled.
Israel Adesanya reveals why he does not want to fight Alex Pereira in the UFC again
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya’s rivalry goes all the way back to their Glory Kickboxing days. It transitioned over to MMA, where they have already fought twice.
However, in a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson, Adesanya spoke about why he does not think it makes sense to fight Pereira again. He said,
“So no I’ve beat him once, how ironic. But then watch this, if I fight him again, I knock him out what’s that, what are they going to say?…I’m 34 man I’ve only got so fights left. Why am I gonna fight the same guy how many times?”
Thus, it is evident that Israel Adesanya is moving forward from their rivalry. They now fight in two different weight classes as well, since Alex Pereira has moved up to Light Heavyweight.
Pereira has even wished to fight in the heavyweight division, further rendering a possible matchup with Adesanya void. On the contrary, ‘The Last Stylebender’ will look to make one last title charge before he decides to hang up his gloves.
