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Alex Pereira Focused On UFC Title, Not Israel Adesanya

Alex Pereira, the decorated kickboxer, is focused on winning a UFC title not fighting Israel Adesanya again.

Pereira is set to make his UFC debut in the prelim headliner against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. It’s an intriguing matchup and du…

Alex Pereira, the decorated kickboxer, is focused on winning a UFC title not fighting Israel Adesanya again.

Pereira is set to make his UFC debut in the prelim headliner against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. It’s an intriguing matchup and due to the fact Pereira holds two wins over Adesanya in kickboxing, including a KO win, many think he will get fast-tracked to the belt. Yet, for the Brazilian, he says he isn’t here for Adesanya, instead, he wants the belt.

“I didn’t come here after Adesanya, I came here to be a champion,” Pereira said at UFC 268 media day. “Who knows, maybe by the time I get there he’s no longer the champion anymore. So I’m just taking it step by step. I just got to the organization and I’m just aiming to be a champion here. If I get there and it’s him, fine. If it’s not him, I’ll work with what I have.”

Entering his UFC debut, Alex Pereira knows many view him as the guy that knocked out Israel Adesanya. However, for him, he says that doesn’t matter, as he’s just here to fight.

“It makes no difference for me,” Pereira explained. “I did beat the guy, it’s part of my story. Maybe if I had lost to him it would annoy me a little bit.”

Pereira is just 3-1 in MMA but is on a three-fight losing skid as he lost his pro debut back in 2015. He then had two fights in 2016 and made his return in 2020 in LFA where he scored a highlight-reel KO win over Thomas Powell. He’s a former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion and also knocked out current UFC light heavyweight, Dustin Jacoby in kickboxing as well.

How do you think Alex Pereira will fare in the UFC? And, do you think he wins his fight at UFC 268?

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Glover Teixeira Gushes Over Alex Pereira Prior To His UFC Debut

Glover Teixeira is very high on his training partner Alex Pereira, and for good reason.

Alex Pereira is set to make his long-awaited UFC debut in the UFC 268 card this weekend. Pereira is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion….

Glover Teixeira is very high on his training partner Alex Pereira, and for good reason.

Alex Pereira is set to make his long-awaited UFC debut in the UFC 268 card this weekend. Pereira is a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion. He has had a successful career in kickboxing and is now ready to take his talents to the UFC.

Many are excited to see what Pereira can do now that he has transitioned over to MMA but his training partner and newly crowned light heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira knows exactly what to expect.

“Alex is so focused, so determined to win his fights and any fight. I’ve been training with him for a little bit more than a year now,” Teixeira said to RT Sports. “About a year and a half (ago) he came down to help me out for Thiago Santos. That’s where I met him.

Glover Teixeira: Israel Adesanya 'sh*t-scared' as 'daddy' Alex Pereira signs with UFC - MMA Fighting — Alex Pereira

“And he’s a hard worker, man. The guy is very disciplined, very hard worker, very humble to learn, and to open his eyes and to open his eyes and learn from everybody. And I believe that he’s gonna be champion. I believe that if he put his mind to it like he is doing right now—and he’s very smart. He gets thing very quick. And for sure, we’ll see him hopefully fighting Adesanya. So we don’t know who’s gonna be at the top by the time he get there, two years or a year from now, who knows, but definitely, he’s gonna be champion. I believe 100%”

Pereira has had four MMA bouts so far since making the switch from kickboxing. His first fight ended in a submission loss, common among those who have a background in striking. However, he bounced back and won the next three all by TKO or KO. One name that stands out on Pereira’s resume is his win over Israel Adesanya in kickboxing. Teixeira knows that his power is something that will set him apart from the rest of the division.

“Yes, it’s crazy,” Teixeira said of his power. “I’ve trained with so many people. I’ve never trained with a guy with that much power that hits that hard. And he’s a middleweight, and I train with a lot of heavyweights. He hits so hard.”

Pereira will be taking on Andreas Michailidis on the UFC 268 card on Nov. 6, live from New York.

Are you excited for the UFC debut of Alex Pereira at UFC 268?

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Bisping Explains Why Alex Pereira Should Fight Adesanya For Title

Alex Pereira is the newest UFC middleweight and he has a history with middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya. Pereira fought Adesanya twice in kickboxing where he won one by decision and knocked out “The Last Stylebender” the other time. It’s still the only time Adesanya has ever been knocked out so with Pereira making his UFC […]

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Alex Pereira is the newest UFC middleweight and he has a history with middleweight champ, Israel Adesanya.

Pereira fought Adesanya twice in kickboxing where he won one by decision and knocked out “The Last Stylebender” the other time. It’s still the only time Adesanya has ever been knocked out so with Pereira making his UFC debut at UFC 268, Michael Bisping believes that is the fight to make.

“What’s a fun fight to make with a big storyline – Adesanya vs Pereira for the middleweight title. He [Adesanya] is like ‘for f**ks sake, will this guy just f**k off?’ Do you know what I mean? He beat me twice in kickboxing, I’ve f**ked that world off and now the man…..Izzy is not taking anybody down, no offense,” Bisping said on his podcast (via Sportskeeda).

Although Alex Pereira is only 3-1 in MMA and lacks the experience in MMA, Bisping believes due to their styles, it’s a fight they could make today. It would likely be a striking fight as Adesanay wouldn’t shoot for a takedown.

However, according to AKA head coach, Javier Mendez, despite Pereira defeating Adesnaya twice in kickboxing, he doubts it would be close.

“So I don’t personally see him and Israel being at the same level in MMA because Izzy’s so far ahead of him. So far ahead of him. But, because he did beat him in a kickboxing match, and knocked him out, and beat him another time, people are gonna want to see that. But you might be surprised to find out that it’s gonna be a whole different ball game. This is not kickboxing, this is MMA,” AKA coach, Javier Mendez said.

In order for Alex Pereira to even get close to a shot at Adesanya, he will need to win his fight at UFC 268 on November 6.

Would you like to see Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira in the UFC?

Continue Reading Bisping Explains Why Alex Pereira Should Fight Adesanya For Title at MMA News.

Teixeira: Israel Adesanya Is No Match For His “Daddy” Alex Pereira

Glover Teixeira believes Israel Adesanya is “sh*t-scared” of his fellow Brazilian and newly signed UFC prospect, Alex Pereira. Pereira, a former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion, will make his promotional debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 on November 6. The 34-year-old is 3-1 in his MMA career, with his most recent victory ending in a […]

Continue Reading Teixeira: Israel Adesanya Is No Match For His “Daddy” Alex Pereira at MMA News.

Glover Teixeira believes Israel Adesanya is “sh*t-scared” of his fellow Brazilian and newly signed UFC prospect, Alex Pereira.

Pereira, a former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion, will make his promotional debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268 on November 6. The 34-year-old is 3-1 in his MMA career, with his most recent victory ending in a scary first-round KO of Thomas Powell in November last year.

Pereira will bring to the UFC stellar credentials as a kickboxer. But perhaps his most marketable asset will be his status as the only man to KO Israel Adesanya, way back in 2017. That left-hook blow was the last action of “Stylebender’s” illustrious 75-5 kickboxing career before he entered the UFC in 2018.

The widely-shared footage of Israel lying flat on the canvas almost seems unbelievable given his dominance atop the UFC middleweight division. And it wasn’t the first time Pereira had defeated Adesanya, either. A year prior, the Brazilian did so via unanimous decision, and now in the UFC, he’s gunning for a trifecta against the middleweight champ.

Teixeira Says Adesanya Is “Praying” Not To Face Alex Pereira

One man who knows Pereira well is long-time training partner Glover Teixeira. Speaking to MMA Fighting, the #1 ranked UFC light heavyweight said he believes Adesanya will be “praying” to avoid his compatriot.

“Daddy’s in the UFC,” said Teixeira. “Adesanya doesn’t wanna talk about it, ‘This guy is just getting here,’ but he knows it’s a tough one for him. No one gives Adesanya more trouble at 185 than him. I’m not saying he’s going to win, it’s another fight, another time, another style, but Adesanya must be praying, ‘For the love of God, put someone like Phil Davis for this guy.’”

While Teixeira gives credit to Adesanya’s UFC accomplishments, he believes Pereira’s KO power will be too much to handle in four-ounce gloves.

“Adesanya is no match for him,” continued Teixeira. “First of all, he’ll be coming in sh*t-scared. [Pereira] knocked him out with 10-ounce gloves. With four-ounce gloves on his hand now … and Adesanya doesn’t have the knockout power Poatan has. He’s f*cking good, don’t get me wrong, Adesanya is awesome, but he doesn’t hit like him. Adesanya hits like a normal guy, Poatan is not normal.”

What do you think? Is Alex Pereira a threat to Israel Adesanya’s middleweight dominance?

Continue Reading Teixeira: Israel Adesanya Is No Match For His “Daddy” Alex Pereira at MMA News.

Glover Teixeira: Israel Adesanya Is ‘Sh*t Scared’ Of Alex Pereira

Glover Teixeira believes Israel Adesanya is quaking in his boots now that Alex Pereira is officially a UFC fighter. The kickboxing phenom (3-1 MMA) is set to make his promotional debut when he takes on Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. Pereira is best known in MMA circles for picking up two wins over ‘Stylebender’ in […]

Glover Teixeira believes Israel Adesanya is quaking in his boots now that Alex Pereira is officially a UFC fighter.

The kickboxing phenom (3-1 MMA) is set to make his promotional debut when he takes on Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268.

Pereira is best known in MMA circles for picking up two wins over ‘Stylebender’ in Glory. The Brazilian first beat Adesanya by decision in 2016 before knocking him out cold in their 2017 rematch.

During a recent appearance on MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, Teixeira said he believes Adesanya fears a third fight with his training partner.

“Daddy’s in the UFC,” Teixeira said. “Adesanya doesn’t wanna talk about it, ‘This guy is just getting here,’ but he knows it’s a tough one for him. No one gives Adesanya more trouble at 185 than him. I’m not saying he’s going to win, it’s another fight, another time, another style, but Adesanya must be praying, ‘For the love of God, put someone like Phil Davis for this guy.”

“He hits your right rib and the left rib hurts,” Teixeira added with a laugh. “Adesanya is no match for him. First of all, he’ll be coming in sh*t-scared. [Pereira] knocked him out with 10-ounce gloves. With four-ounce gloves on his hand now… And Adesanya doesn’t have the knockout power Poatan has. He’s f*cking good, don’t get me wrong, Adesanya is awesome, but he doesn’t hit like him. Adesanya hits like a normal guy, Poatan is not normal.”

The middleweight king is arguably the best striker in MMA but Teixeira expects Adesanya would try to wrestle Pereira if they square off inside the Octagon.

“Adesanya has no ground game, at least based on what I saw in his last fight,” Teixeira said. “Adesanya has no ground and wrestling to take Poatan down. In fact, I think Poatan is better than him.”

“I won’t tell you he’s one of the best, a ‘Jacare’ or Rodolfo Vieira on the ground,” Teixeira added. “But he defends well on the ground, has good defensive wrestling, and the way he moves on the feet makes it tougher to close the distance. I have good takedowns, but it’s hard to get to him. I expect him to do well in the UFC.”

The UFC 267 headliner admits that the road to a middleweight title shot will not be easy for his friend.

“I do believe it’s tougher to get to Adesanya than fighting him today,” Teixeira said. “If they put him against Adesanya right off the bat, I believe it’s easier for him than getting to Adesanya. Styles make fights. For example, I beat Marreta’ [Thiago Santos] and Marreta knocked out Blachowicz, and Blachowicz knocked out a guy that defeated me, Corey Anderson.

“I told [Pereira] that striking in MMA is a bit different than striking in kickboxing. You’re more relaxed in kickboxing, you don’t need too much footwork and things like that, and he knows it. He’s super smart, he’s a high-level athlete. He’s not just a kickboxer, he’s a high-level athlete with incredible power, incredible preparation, and I believe he’ll do well in the UFC.”

Do you agree with Glover Teixeira? Is Israel Adesanya worried by Alex Pereira signing with the UFC?

Ahead Of Debut, Alex Pereira Is Focused On Gold Not Israel Adesanya

GLORY Kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is ready to leave the shadow of Israel Adesanya behind after beating him twice in kickboxing. During his time as a kickboxer, Pereira was matched with the outspoken Adesanya twice, with their first encounter resulting in a unanimous decision victory. Although, when they met in their second fight a year […]

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GLORY Kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is ready to leave the shadow of Israel Adesanya behind after beating him twice in kickboxing.

During his time as a kickboxer, Pereira was matched with the outspoken Adesanya twice, with their first encounter resulting in a unanimous decision victory. Although, when they met in their second fight a year later, the 34-year old Brazilian managed to hand Adesanya his only knockout loss in his long and illustrious mixed-martial-arts career.

Instead of rekindling a heated rivalry with Adesanya, Pereira is simply focused on becoming UFC champion to add to his list of mixed martial arts accomplishments. However, the polished kickboxer admits that if “The Last Stylebender” is the one holding gold when he makes it to the top, then a third fight will be in the cards after all.

“I want to make it very clear that I didn’t come to the UFC because of Adesanya. I came to be the champion. If he’s the champion when I get there, fine. But it might not be. Who has to think about me is him, who lost twice, not me,” Pereira told Sportskeeda.

In their second meeting, Pereira details some of what happened in the fight, and what he saw as he pursued the elusive knockout against Adesanya.

“When we fought, he started well, he was beating me, but even though I got beaten up a lot, I didn’t get tired. I knocked him out and let it out because he likes to tease, especially when weighing. He spoke badly about Brazil, about me… When he fell, I really let go,” Pereira added.

The 34-year old Pereira struggled against Adesanya a few years ago but realizes that some of the champion’s pre-fight antics only helped fuel his desire to follow up his shots with more intent. The two fighters have taken drastically different paths since they last met, with Adesanya now sitting atop the middleweight throne unbeaten.

Pereira is set to debut at UFC 268 in New York City, New York, on Nov. 6 inside the famed Madison Square Garden venue. Ahead of the blockbuster PPV event, Pereira realizes that the matchup with Andreas Michailidis will set the barometer as to where he stands among the rest of the middleweight division and, of course, what is to come next.

Continue Reading Ahead Of Debut, Alex Pereira Is Focused On Gold Not Israel Adesanya at MMA News.