Israel Adesanya thinks former Glory kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is the most overhyped fighter in the UFC.
Israel Adesanya thinks former kickboxing opponent Alex Pereira is all hype and that the former Glory two-division champion is being handpicked opponents to pad his UFC record.
Adesanya, the reigning UFC middleweight champion, was beaten twice by Pereira in kickboxing but claims he would wipe the floor with “Poatan” in the UFC.
Here’s what “The Last Stylebender” had to say about the only man to ever KO him during a recent interview with Kayo Sports (h/t BJPenn.com).
“I’m gonna go with Alex Pereira, because I’ll make him look easy,” Adesanya said about the most overhyped fighter in the UFC. “Yeah, right now just enjoy the setup fights, enjoy the setup victories, you know? Yeah, that’s overhyped.”
Pereira is 2-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut in 2021, with victories over Andreas Michailidis and Bruno Silva. The Brazilian will return to the Octagon on July 2 to take on his toughest test to date in Sean Strickland at UFC 276 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Adesanya, who is open to fighting Pereira next, will headline the card opposite No. 2-ranked middleweight Jared Cannonier in one of the most stacked pay-per-view events of the year.