Alex Pereira, the former two-weight Glory Kickboxing champion, entered the world of mixed martial arts in 2015. However, he already had made a name in the sport because of his previous two wins over UFC star Israel Adesanya.
‘Poatan’ made his UFC debut in 2021. Since then, he competed in three fights and won all three of them. Two of those victories came via a vicious knockout, and many of his previous fights had the same outcome.
Thus, the Brazilian became one of the most feared middleweights in the division. Many believed the straight face former Glory Kickboxing champion can be an antinode to Izzy’s invincibility at UFC’s middleweight and Pereira surely lived up to those expectations.
Alex Pereira vowed to ‘Kill’ Israel Adesanya at UFC 281
A third clash between the rivals took place last weekend inside the Madison Square Garden for the middleweight crown. Pereira looked very confident against the champion. However, he got rocked in the last seconds of the maiden round.
ALSO READ: UFC 281: Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Payouts, Purses and Salaries- How Much Did the Fighters Make?
But he came out stronger in the second round and also won it. In the third and the fourth, ‘The Last Stylebender’ looked close to victory. However, Pereira was ready to turn the tables.
https://twitter.com/Marcus21570534/status/1591899623370944512?s=20&t=uAKZrvTdQH6BQkEamwwmjw
At the beginning of the fifth round, the ‘Hands of stone’ showed why he was the most feared fighter. In a viral video, we can see Pereira looking straight into Izzy’s eyes and saying, “pronto para matar”, which translates to “ready to kill.”
Izzy then attempted to kick but missed and trembled. ‘Poatan’ pounced on Adesanya’s oversight and unleashed a barrage of blows until the referee intervened and stopped the bout.
The rematch seems inevitable
Now, the Brazilian is 3-0 against ‘The Last Stylebender.’ However, Izzy still believes he can beat Pereira and has asked for an instant rematch. Considering Izzy’s record, he surely deserves a title rematch. However, the UFC is yet to announce the same.
Do you think Izzy will get a rematch?
