Alex Pereira has two wins over Israel Adesanya, including one by knockout.
But “Poatan” understands that he’s not signed for another kickboxing match on Sat. night (Nov. 12) at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where he meets the reigning middleweight champion in the UFC 281 pay-per-view (PPV) main event.
“I can’t stay attached to those two fights I did with him and get in the middle of the Octagon, cross my arms and he goes down,” Pereira told MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca. “I have to impose my rhythm and my game to win. I can’t think about two fights we did, or the knockout. Every fight is different. I have to go there and do what I’ve trained and be better than him.”
Adesanya (23-1) has more than three times the experience of his Brazilian rival when it comes to mixed martial arts (MMA), but some of “The Last Stylebender’s” recent title defenses have been criticized for being boring, thanks to his anemic finishing rate inside the Octagon.
“There’s no way he fights the way he’s been fighting, he will have to be more aggressive,” the 6-1 Pereira continued. “I’m ready for that. We’re talking MMA, we’re not talking kickboxing. I think he comes more aggressive, and that’s perfect for me.”
We’ll find out this weekend in “The Empire State.”
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