The former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to face his toughest test yet as he prepares to take on Alex Pereira. This fourth fight between the two is much anticipated, as Adesanya is looking to reclaim the UFC middleweight championship from his arch rival ‘Poatan’. Adesanya has shared the stage with Pereira three times before, but this time he’s determined to emerge victorious. With both fighters at the peak of their careers, this fight is expected to be a nail-biting encounter.
Adesanya’s UFC journey started in 2017 and since then he has enjoyed tremendous success in the octagon. He not only won the middleweight championship but was also aiming to break Anderson Silva’s records. However, his dreams of achieving the feat were shattered by his previous loss to Pereira.
Adesanya’s defeat has cast a shadow of doubt over his ability to win against top fighters. Furthermore, his friend Kamaru Usman’s recent loss to Leon Edwards has added to the pressure on Adesanya.
As a result, the outcome of this fight is very important for both fans and critics alike. This has prompted Adesanya to channel his inner Jet Li in order to prepare for his fight.
Israel Adesanya inspired by Jet Li’s ‘Unleashed’
With his latest Tweet, Adesanya shows not only how bent he is to regain his title, but also his love for movies. Adesanya’s decision to enter combat sports was after watching the movie ‘Ong Bak’. However, this time it is from Jet Li’s ‘Unleashed’.
Via a recent Tweet, he said, “IYKYK. He got that Dawg in him!!”
IYKYK. He got that Dawg in him!! https://t.co/0RJzS0skVT
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) April 7, 2023
He wore a collar to his press conference. Moreover, in the premise of the movie once the collar comes off, Jet Li attacks his opponents relentlessly. This draws comparison with Rock Lee’s fight against Gara during the Chunin exams in Naruto anime, of which Adesanya is a huge fan of as well.
It remains unclear whether this will be enough to push him over the line against ‘Poatan’. Last time they fought each other, Adesanya was dominating the fight till the last round when Pereira took the fight by the scruff of its neck and finished the Kiwi champion.
Pereira – Adesanya a never-ending rivalry?
During a podcast with Andrew Schulz, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya shared his burning desire to fight Alex Pereira, stating that he would do whatever it takes to avenge his previous loss and reclaim his title.
As one of the greatest middleweight fighters, Adesanya has already defeated some of the division’s toughest opponents, including Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa and Yoel Romero, making the upcoming fight against Pereira even more significant for the promotion.
He said,
“He [Pereira] said like, ‘Oh, I don’t think he’s gonna want an immediate rematch.’ I’m like, ‘F** you.’ He doesn’t know me. I will fight you until I beat you.
I don’t give a fu**. I’ll be 60, I’ll come to your favela, I’ll knock on your f***king door [with] my walking stick and be like, ‘Yo, you and me right now.’
Like, we need to go because that’s just me. I don’t give a f***. Even if it’s just one. I’ll beat you. I know I can beat him.”
However, the question remains, will a victory over Pereira end the longstanding rivalry between the two fighters? If Adesanya emerges triumphant, both fighters will be tied at 1-1 in their professional MMA careers.
With no bigger fight for the promotion and Adesanya himself, the upcoming bout against Pereira promises to be a monumental one for the former middleweight champion.
