Israel Adesanya has no issue with Alex Pereira, but when it comes to Pereira’s fans, that’s a different story.
On Saturday, Adesanya will return to the Octagon for the first time in nearly a year when he meets reigning middleweight world champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in Perth. If Adesanya manages to climb his way back into the win column, he will make history as the promotion’s first-ever three-time titleholder at 185.
After dominating the division for some time, Adesanya finds himself having lost two of his last three, including a brutal fifth-round knockout against Pereira, the promotion’s reigning light heavyweight king.
Adesanya’s history with Pereira both in and out of the UFC is well-documented, but both men have largely put their rivalry to bed after two meetings inside the Octagon. Recently, ‘The Last Stylebender’ made it clear that he holds no ill will toward ‘Poatan’ and loves seeing the Brazilian boogeyman achieve so much success.
“I watched the Pereira fight again last night, it was on YouTube, and I was just like scrolling past and I watched it and there was certain sequences I was just like, I was making him move back. I was really pushing him back and for me, I’m so happy with what he’s doing right now, I’m like bro, Adesanya said” (h/t MMA News).
Cormier couldn’t help but marvel at how impressive Alex Pereira has been inside the Octagon, asking Adesanya, “Can you believe how good this dude is?” The ‘Stylebender’ was quick to remind ‘DC’ that he’s gone toe-to-toe with ‘Poatan’ on four separate occasions between the UFC and GLORY Kickboxing.
Needless to say, he knows how good Pereira is.
“I know! I fought him four times! I f*cking know! Bro, every time I fought him, I knew I could get him till he got me and then now, here we are,” Adesanya added.
Israel Adesanya loves living rent free in the heads of pereira’s fans
Things may be cool between the ‘Stylebender’ and Pereira, but Adesanya can’t say the same thing about Pereira’s fans.
“I like Alex and I’m proud of what he’s doing, but his fans, they’re still coping like, ‘It’s still 3-1 dammit,’ but I like the fact that I’m in their heads,” Adesanya told TheMACLife.
Israel Adesanya describes his relationship with Alex Pereira and criticizes his fans:
“I like Alex and I’m proud of what he’s doing, but his fans they’re still coping. They’re like ‘it’s still 3-1, damnit’…
[Alex] is fine… I have no ill will towards him.”
@TheMacLife #UFC… pic.twitter.com/jSbqEAffIr
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 14, 2024
Though both men are content to leave their once-fiery feud in the past, Adesanya and Pereira have left things open for a potential trilogy bout inside the Octagon. If Adesanya comes out on top against Dricus Du Plessis in The Land Down Under, he could use it as an opportunity to once again go for the coveted champ-champ status and a fifth career meeting with the former GLORY champion.
Of course, that’s assuming Pereira gets past ‘The War Horse’ in November.