UFC 281 is just a fortnight away. Middleweight king Israel Adesanya recently revealed why his main event fight against Alex Pereira excites him much more than most of his previous opponents.
‘The Last Stylebender’ has been dominating the 185lbs division ever since arriving in the UFC almost five years ago. The former kickboxer has come in for some criticism for his recent “safe” performances. However, the Kiwi is expecting his next bout to be fireworks when he fights his nemesis Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira.
While speaking with Jake Paul about his upcoming title clash, Israel Adesanya was oozing with confidence. He claimed that he knew he was going to “waste” his past opponents, and the fight against Alex Pereira will be no different:
“No matter what you do in life, there’s always the element of fear, and a lot of people fold under that pressure, and this for me, this is why I thrive… The last few fights for me, I knew I was going to sass these guys, I knew I was gonna waste them… He’s [Alex Pereira] not gonna try and survive, he’s gonna try and come forward and take me out. That’s what excites me, that’s what I thrive in. I need that pressure, especially under the big lights, MSG, the whole world watching.”
As champion, Adesanya has a target on his back. A handful of fighters are all making their case to fight the champion for his throne. The two men he previously beat in Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa are scheduled to battle it out in February next year at UFC 281. The winner will more than likely insert himself into the title picture.
Check out what Adesanya had to say about his next fight in the video below:
What worries Israel Adesanya about Alex Pereira?
Aside from holding two kickboxing wins over the champion, Alex Pereira has shown on multiple occasions that he is a fearsome striker.
Not only does he have devastating power, ‘Poatan’ has a great sense of range and sets traps for his opponents. Alongside that, he is capable of taking damage as seen in his clash against fellow countryman Bruno Silva.
While Israel Adesanya remains arguably the greatest striker in the sport, he cannot afford to be complacent on November 12.