Four-fight rival of incumbent light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira – Israel Adesanya, has picked the Brazilian to lose his title this weekend in his short-notice headliner at UFC 303 – in rather devastating fashion to boot, in the form of a KO defeat to challenger, Jiri Prochazka.
Adesanya, who has twice faced Sao Paulo knockout kingpin, Pereira in kickboxing and twice further in mixed martial arts – looks to regain his middleweight crown this summer at UFC 305 in Perth, taking on reigning champion, Dricus du Plessis in a return ‘Downunder’.
And most recently fighting Pereira back in April of last year in Miami, City Kickboxing striker, Adesanya stopped the former with a hellacious second round knockout – landing his first victory against the Brazilian – at the fourth time of trying.
Israel Adesanya picks Jiri Prochazka to beat Alex Pereira at UFC 303
Offering his official prediction for this weekend’s main event between rival, Pereira and the above-mentioned, Prochazka, Adesanya has picked the Czech Republic finisher to land the light heavyweight crown – claiming he will have learned from his own mistakes and take home the championship with a brutal finish.
“The approach from both fighters will be different because they [Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka] both know what can happen,” Israel Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Alex knows that he can get taken down and controlled – Jiri knows that he can get knocked out – Alex knows that he can get touched and hurt by Jiri.”
“…So, who’s going to try and kill who in this fight? I’m going to go [with] Jiri because we’re the chosen few, but I think he might have learned from his mistakes,” Israel Adesanya explained. “I’m going to go [with] Jiri and I’m going to go by third round or fourth round finish.”
Fighting Prochazka back in November of last year, Sao Paulo knockout artist, Pereira finished the ex-titleholder with a second round KO to win the vacant light heavyweight championship in Madison Square Garden.
What are your thoughts of Israel Adesanya predicting Alex Pereira’s demise at UFC 303?