Israel Adesanya is pumped for UFC 281. He faces what may be the crucible of his legacy-making moment in the UFC on November 12 at Madison Square Garden, NYC. ‘The Stylebender’ has been training hard for his fight against Alex Pereira and hopes to prove he is the better fighter. The two have met twice before and both times, ‘Poatan’ Pereira came on top.
In fact, he is the only person to knock Israel Adesanya out in MMA. So, Adesanya has a lot to prove aside from being the defending champion.
When it comes to fighting styles, this could not be a better match. Both fighters are well known for their flamboyant style and striking prowess. They also have a great record and it’s like seeing two top gunners go neck-and-neck.
It’s Personal for Israel Adesanya This Time
“Beating him, that’s what matters,” Adesanya explained. “Like, the belt? F*ck the belt. Just beating him, a killer like him, that’s what matters.”
Adesanya has often been criticized for lacking punching power even though his striking is beyond most others in his division. Meanwhile, Pereira has been rocking chins all the way to UFC 281 so this will be a very interesting matchup.
“We’ve dusted that off, we’ve cut it off, and I can see what I did wrong,” Adesanya said about getting KO’ed in 2017. He believes it is going to be a different story this time. Adesanya draws inspiration from anime and spurs his growth as a fighter.
He says he has reached another level and it’s like a rebirthing. He wants to grow and have fun as a fighter, even within fights. However, this is different and Adesanya says he wants to redeem his career with a record win.
What Does the Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Fight Look Like?
Pereira’s strategy for the fight seems to involve keeping ‘The Stylebender’ at bay and neutralizing his kick attacks. He seems to favor big hooks and ‘Poatan’ has said that Adesanya will not make it to the end of the final round. He won’t make it five rounds.
Recently, Adesanya released a video of him training his reaction time. Pereira poked fun at his training method saying he would like to see Adesanya do that on a hoverboard.
