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Alex Pereira backs Israel Adesanya to win title fight in return at UFC 305: ‘He has a beautiful story’

Alex Pereira hopes Israel Adesanya wins title at UFC 305 he has a beautiful story Undisputed light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has wished his four-fight opponent, Israel Adesanya luck in his title fight at…

Undisputed light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has wished his four-fight opponent, Israel Adesanya luck in his title fight at UFC 305 next month in Australia, claiming he hopes the former middleweight champion wins the title in his fight with Dricus du Plessis.

Pereira, a former undisputed middleweight champion and the incumbent light heavyweight gold holder, has twice faced Adesanya in both Kickboxing and mixed martial arts – establishing a 3-1 record against the City Kickboxing star during their respective combat sports careers.

Manager picks surprise rematch for Alex Pereira after UFC 303 win that's underwhelming

And minting himself as the undisputed middleweight gold holder back in 2022, Pereira handed Adesanya his first loss at 185lbs with a stunning, come-from-behind knockout win at Madison Square Garden in their title clash.

Most recently headlining UFC 303 at the end of last month, Pereira turned in the second successful defense of his light heavyweight crown with a blistering second round high-kick knockout win over two-time foe, Jiri Prochazka.

Alex Pereira hopes Israel Adesanya wins title at UFC 305

And ahead of Adesanya’s title charge at UFC 305 next month ‘Downunder’, Pereira has wished his former opponent well, claiming he has a “beautiful story” in combat sports.

Alex Pereira claims Israel Adesanya is not the same since he knocked him out he changed a little bit — Mandatory Credit: Zuffa LLC

“I don’t think he (Israel Adesanya) loses this fight [against Dricus du Plessis],” Alex Pereira said on his YouTube channel. “I hope he wins because he has a beautiful story. I think he has to continue his story. He isn’t a young guy. He talked a little about wanting to stop [fighting]. I think he has that in mind, I think he should continue his plans. I don’t think he finished his plans, I don’t know if he finished them he would of stopped, so if he is still there he still has a dream. I don’t know.”

“… I’m here supporting him,” Alex Pereira continued. “I already fought him, I’m not going to say he should lose. I’m not mad at him, no grudges. Like I said, if one day it’s possible to train with him exchanging knowledge.”

What are your thoughts on Alex Pereira’s rivalry with Israel Adesanya?

Referee Marc Goddard ‘specifically requested not to’ officiate Pereira vs. Adesanya rematch at UFC 287

Marc Goddard wanted nothing to do with Israel Adesanya’s UFC rematch with Alex Pereira. Goddard is considered by many…

Marc Goddard wanted nothing to do with Israel Adesanya’s UFC rematch with Alex Pereira.

Goddard is considered by many to be one of the UFC’s most respected referees, often acting as the third man in the Octagon for some of the biggest fights in the promotion’s history. That includes his role in the UFC 281 encounter between former middleweight world champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.

On that night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ surrendered the 185-pound crown to his GLORY Kickboxing foe via a shocking fifth-round knockout. However, the stoppage was the subject of some criticism with many suggesting that Goddard stepped in too early and should have allowed Adesanya more time to recover.

Marc Goddard refereeing Pereira vs. Adesanya

Adesanya himself was also critical of the stoppage, prompting Goddard to request that he not be involved in their rematch at UFC 287 five months later.

“Do you remember when Israel Adesanya fought Alex Pereira for the second time in Miami? I specifically requested not to do that fight [too],” Goddard said during an appearance on the Overdogs Podcast.

“Me and him are [fine], I’ve refereed him since, I’ve refereed his fight with Sean Strickland, but I actually removed myself because what I didn’t want to do was walk in the dressing room, I was thinking of the fighter then, this is his night, it’s all about him. I didn’t want to walk into that dressing room and him to have any form of negative connotations or something like that.”

“So, I just thought that the right thing to do and the fairest thing to do by him is just stay out of the fight and give it to another ref. There’s been a couple of incidences where there’s [been] certain fighters that I would rather not [officiate] for personal reasons” (h/t Bloody Elbow).

Marc Goddard will never referee a Leon Edwards fight

Goddard also revealed during the conversation that there is one specific fighter you will never see him in the Octagon with, though for a very different reason.

“Here’s a classic case, Leon Edwards — you’ve never seen me referee Leon Edwards in the UFC and you never will, why? Because I was Leon Edwards’ first MMA coach,” Goddard revealed.

“[That was] way, way back when he was an amateur but it’s a common-sense element for me, even though the link is so [dated], who knew then when Leon first walked in… But you’ve never saw me referee him and you never will because we just keep it out of the way.”

Outside of the obvious reasons, Goddard also explained that he doesn’t want to find himself “in a predicament where I’m making a call that could go against him so it’s both ways.”

Israel Adesanya Explains How He’ll Deal With Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Uniqueness’ At UFC 305

Israel Adesanya is returning to the Octagon to face Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 305 in Perth. Last September, he lost the title to Sean Strickland in a huge upset and awaits to finally settle his rivalry with “Stillknocks.” On his rather quick path to becoming the kingpin, Du Plessis […]

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Explains How He’ll Deal With Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Uniqueness’ At UFC 305 at MMA News.

On his rather quick path to becoming the kingpin, Du Plessis defeated the likes of Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, and Darren Till. With his unusual grappling style and striking, which were initially doubted heavily by many MMA enthusiasts, he’s become a hard nut to crack in the middleweight division.

Here’s how Adesanya, one of the most celebrated strikers ever, plans to counter Du Plessis’ unique style at UFC 305…

Israel Adesanya Aims To Stick To His Classic Style To Beat Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 305

Adesanya recently appeared in an interview uploaded on The Sias du Plessis Show YouTube channel. The former two-time UFC middleweight champion seemed unbothered by his next opponent’s unpredictable style and physicality.

“The Last Stylebender” remembered his KO win over Alex Pereira, who appeared to hold a size advantage over all middleweights in the UFC. Accordingly, Du Plessis’ size and unorthodox style on fight night won’t compel Adesanya to change his strategy.

“I fought the largest middleweight, Alex Pereira, and I knocked him out,” Adesanya said. “How am I gonna deal with Dricus’ uniqueness? It’s just be unique myself. Be unique to who I am. Never again will I ever stray away from my style or my flow just because I wanna do something different or pander or anything like that.”

Adesanya also revealed that he plans to fight like his usual self at UFC 305. Fans can expect him to maintain distance and attempt to piece up Du Plessis from the outside with clean strikes if this is true.

“I’m always gonna stick to my style and stick to what I do best, which is beating people up in fantastic fashion. And, yeah, I’ve done that my whole career, and I wanna get back to that,” Adesanya added. “I’m not really worried about the outcome. It’s more about the journey.”

The Nigerian-New Zealander repeatedly mentioned that he wants to enjoy the process rather than worry about the outcome of his fight with Du Plessis.

Will this mindset, accompanied by his classic striking style, be enough to reclaim gold at UFC 305? Only time will tell.

Read More: Ian Garry Doesn’t Expect Kamaru Usman To Be An Option Post-UFC 303: ‘I Believe He’s Going To Run Scared’

Continue Reading Israel Adesanya Explains How He’ll Deal With Dricus Du Plessis’ ‘Uniqueness’ At UFC 305 at MMA News.

Israel Adesanya vows to beat opponents in ‘Fantastic fashion’ for remainder of UFC career

Looking to rebound to the winning circle at UFC 305 next month in a title clash with arch-rival, Dricus…

Looking to rebound to the winning circle at UFC 305 next month in a title clash with arch-rival, Dricus du Plessis in Perth, former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has vowed to lay waste to each and every one of his opponents in “fantastic fashion” before it’s all said and done.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middlweight champion, is set to headline next month’s pay-per-view return ‘Dowunder’ – attempting to return to Australia in winning form this time around.

Sidelined since September of last year, City Kickboxing star, Adesanya most recently dropped his middleweight crown for the second time in the space of a calendar year, in the form of a one-sided unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland.

Israel Adesanya warns Dricus du Plessis with UFC 305 fight don't be afraid be terrified

Israel Adesanya vows to beat fighters in “fantastic fashion”

And drawing promotional-perfect Pretoria native, du Plessis at UFC 305 next month in a bid to become the first three-time champion in the history of the organization, Adesanya has vowed to beat each and every one of the last foes on his run in eye-catching fashion.

“I fought the largest middleweight, Alex Pereira, and i knocked him out,” Israel Adesanya said on the Sias du Plessis Show. “How am I gonna deal with Dricus’ uniqueness? It’s just be unique myself. Be unique to who I am.”

“Never again will I ever stray away from my style or my flow just because I wanna do something different or pander or anything like that,” Israel Adesanya explained. “I’m always gonna stick to my style and stick to what I do best, which is beating people up in fantastic fashion. And, yeah, I’ve done that my whole career, and I wanna get back to that. I’m not really worried about the outcome. It’s more about the journey.”

Who wins next month at UFC 305: Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya?

Dricus du Plessis claims Israel Adesanya should have retired from UFC by now: ‘I saw it in his eyes’

Dricus du Plessis has claimed former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya should likely have called time on his career…

Dricus du Plessis has claimed former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya should likely have called time on his career in mixed martial arts following his knockout loss to Alex Pereira – claiming he was aware of the City Kickboxing star’s intentions to end his career.

du Plessis, the current undisputed middleweight champion, returns to the Octagon next month in the main event of UFC 305, taking on the above-mentioned, Adesanya in a title showdown in Perth, Australia.

Winning the undisputed crown at UFC 297 back in January of this year in a trip to Canada, du Plessis turned in a close, controversial split decision win over Sean Strickland – improving his unbeaten promotional record to 7-0.

For Adesanya, the former two-time middleweight titleholder has been sidelined since September of last year, himself suffering a one-sided unanimous decision loss to the previously mentioned, Strickland – in one of the biggest upset defeats in Octagon antiquity,

And sharing the stage earlier this month as part of a tense pre-fight press conference ahead of their UFC 305 clash, du Plessis and Adesanya shared some notable trash talk, with the South African poking fun at the former champion’s pet dog.

Dricus du Plessis claims Israel Adesanya should have retired last year

Furthermore, in the time since, du Plessis has boldly proclaimed that he knew Adesanya was set to call time on his career in the sport – and insisted he likely should have already.

Israel Adesanya reveals he's getting ready for fighting return amid links to UFC 305 clash with Dricus du Plessis — Mandatory Credit: Jasmin Frank – USA TODAY Sports

“He (Israel Adesanya) knows it and the world knows it, he’s done great things in this sport – when it comes to as big as he’s going to get, he has been as big as he’s going to get in this sport,” Dricus du Plessis told Hello Sport.

“When it comes to the title defenses, the winning streaks, that will never come again because he doesn’t have the time, so I think his biggest achievement for him personally was beating Alex Pereira. He had this nemesis who’s beaten him multiple times and after that fight, he was ready to call it quits – that’s what I saw in his eyes as well.”

Who do you think wins next month at UFC 305: Dricus du Plessis or Israel Adesanya?

Dricus Du Plessis On What He Saw In Israel Adesanya’s Eyes During Staredown: ‘Trying To Convince Himself He Still Wants To Do This’

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis drew some conclusions from his long faceoff with Israel Adesanya last week. After a bitter feud dating back to the start of 2023, Du Plessis and Adesanya will finally have the chance to settle their grudge inside the Octagon at the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, next […]

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis On What He Saw In Israel Adesanya’s Eyes During Staredown: ‘Trying To Convince Himself He Still Wants To Do This’ at MMA News.

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis drew some conclusions from his long faceoff with Israel Adesanya last week.

After a bitter feud dating back to the start of 2023, Du Plessis and Adesanya will finally have the chance to settle their grudge inside the Octagon at the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, next month.

Having been unable to make the turnaround post-beating Robert Whittaker to face “The Last Stylebender” in Sydney last September, “Stillknocks” set this bout up once again by dethroning Sean Strickland months after he upset Adesanya Down Under.

With their long-awaited showdown just over a month away, Du Plessis and his challenger went face to face in Perth for an on-sale press conference.

Following some firm words with microphone in hand, the pair engaged in one of the lengthiest and most intense faceoffs in recent memory. And according to the champ, he learned a thing or two from it…

Du Plessis Saw Uncertainty In Adesanya’s Eyes During Perth Faceoff

During a recent appearance on the All Talk podcast, Du Plessis looked ahead to his opening defense of the middleweight title and reflected on his first in-person interaction with Adesanya during the UFC 305 buildup.

The South African spoke about the importance of pre-fight faceoffs, even branding them the first part of a bout. And given what he claims to have seen in the eyes of Adesanya, the champ evidently believes round one went to him.

“Once I get into that zone for any staredown, there’s no humor in that. That’s when things get serious. That’s part of the fight right there, winning that exchange,” Du Plessis said. “Almost a theme for me in this whole fight is seeing that Israel Adesanya…he has done great things in this sport. But when it comes to as big as he’s gonna get, he has been as big as he’s gonna get. When it comes to the title defenses and the winning streaks, that will never come again because he doesn’t have the time.

“His biggest achievement for him personally was beating Alex Pereira. He had this nemesis who’s beaten him multiple times. And after that fight, he was ready to call it quits,” Du Plessis continued. “That’s what I saw in his eyes as well; trying to convince me but more so trying to convince himself that he still wants to do this and that he still has what it takes to be the best fighter in the world. As soon as you’re asking yourself that question, you’re in a dark place.”

Whether or not Du Plessis draws the same conclusion when they go face to face again when fight week rolls around in Perth remains to be seen.

But given his golf jibe relating to retirement during the recent presser, it would appear that “Stillknocks” sees Adesanya having one foot out the door ahead of his first fight in 11 months.

Read More: Dricus Du Plessis To Israel Adesanya: ‘I’m Glad You Took Up Golf, Because That’s A Retirement Sport’

Continue Reading Dricus Du Plessis On What He Saw In Israel Adesanya’s Eyes During Staredown: ‘Trying To Convince Himself He Still Wants To Do This’ at MMA News.