Former UFC Middleweight Champion Alex Pereira’s 205lbs ambitions may be put on hold if he has his way.
Back at UFC 287, ‘Poatan’ lost the 185lbs gold back to former champion Israel Adesanya in his first title defense. Prior to their Miami showdown, the pair had fought three times across kickboxing and MMA, with Pereira coming out on top every time.
Immediately after knocking Pereira out, Adesanya mocked his signature archer pose before throwing some shade in ‘Poatan’s son’s direction.
Initially, talks of a trilogy MMA bout between the pair were floating among fans. However, it appeared the chances of such a bout happening were scuppered when Alex Pereira revealed he was moving up to the light heavyweight division. Considering the grim weight cuts Pereira had to endure to reach the middleweight limit, a bump up to 205lbs made sense for him.
Now, however, it appears Pereira’s eyeing ‘The Last Stylebender’ once again.
“Let’s Go” – Alex Pereira
‘Poatan’ Alex Pereira recently took to Twitter to respond to Adesanya’s ongoing trash talk against him. Tagging the UFC and promotional President Dana White, Pereira suggested ‘Izzy’ is essentially promoting a third fight between the pair. The Brazilian kickboxing ace then confirmed he is indeed interested in colliding with ‘The Last Stylebender’ again.
Right now, Adesanya does not have a clear-cut next challenger. At UFC 290, longtime rival Robert Whittaker and outspoken South African rising star Dricus du Plessis are set to collide. The bout is expected to decide Adesanya’s next opponent.
However, should Alex Pereira decide to put his 205lbs debut on hold, Adesanya/Pereira III could well be right around the corner. Dana White has confirmed that Adesanya is looking for a quick turnover and return to the Octagon. For fans, a continuation of this long-running rivalry could make for an exciting main event in the near future.