Tag: UFC 281

Former undisputed UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has revealed a lingering posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) almost forced him to withdraw from last weekend’s UFC 281 main event against Alex Pereira – limiting his preparation for hte middleweight title fight.

Taking main event honors at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden in his third Octagon appearance of this year, Adesanya suffered a fifth round knockout loss to Sao Paulo striker, Pereira, dropping his undisputed middleweight crown, as well as suffering his first loss at the weight class in his mixed martial arts career.

For Brazilian striker, Pereira, the former GLORY Kickboxing champion achieved UFC spoils inside just four Octagon outings, having previously landed a duo of high-profile victories over Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Adesanya during their respective kickboxing tenures. 

Israel Adesanya reveals how a PCL injury almost forced his withdrawal from UFC 281

Revealing how he was suffering from “some medical stuff” ahead of his New York outing against Pereira, Adesanya told comedian and podcast host, Andrew Schulz how he had suffered a PCL injury in the lead-up to his fight with the former.

Israel Adesanya told @andrewschulz that he nearly pulled out of #UFC281 after injuring the PCL in his left knee. A lingering injury from the Jared Cannonier fight. He only boxed and grappled for three weeks, no kicking, to help it heal in time for the Alex Pereira fight

— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) November 15, 2022

“Israel Adesanya told @andrewschulz that he nearly pulled out of #UFC281 after injuring the PCL in his left knee,” Shakiel Mahjouri tweeted. “He only boxed and grappled for three weeks, no kicking, to help it heal in time for the Alex Pereira fight.” 

“Breaking news – I was gonna pull out of this fight early on,” Israel Adesanya said. “Last time I fought in New York, [UFC] 230, I was gonna pull out of that fight [with Derek Brunson], with three weeks left. But then with – Brunson, with my knee, this knee [slaps right knee], but I hand cortisone injection, I took a whole five days off, nothing, no nothing, five days off. And then it just got better. …” 

“This time, from the last fight with (Jared) Cannonier, I hurt my PCL, and that’s the thing that keeps your knee from going backwards,” Israel Adesanya continued. “Early in camp, I had some problems, so there was – how many weeks? Maybe like three weeks, I just did boxing – boxing and grappling, no kicking. … I was gonna pull out early on, but I was like, ‘Nah, I wanna get this done.’ I’m a prideful man. I’ll be damned if people say I’m scared of this guy (Alex Pereira), because I know I’m not.” 

Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has claimed he had planned to wait for newly minted champion, Alex Pereira to “gas out” during his fifth round finishing sequence, before he was eventually stopped.

Headlining UFC 281 over the course of last weekend at Madison Square Garden, Adesanya suffered a fifth round standing TKO loss to Pereira, in his attempt to secure his seventh successful defense of the middleweight crown.

Likely leading the scorecards in a 3-1 lead heading into the fifth and final round, Adesanya was then defeated in the final frame, after he was wobbled on the feet by an uppercut from Pereira, before the Sao Paulo native’s patented left hook found it’s home.

Attempting to evade Pereira’s follow-up strikes at the Octagon fence, Israel Adesanya failed to get out of the way for the most part, with referee, Marc Goddard jumping in to call a halt to the bout, crowning Pereira as the new undisputed middleweight best.

Israel Adesanya reveals his plan to survive Alex Pereira’s onslaught at UFC 281 

And in the days following his first career loss at the middleweight limit in mixed martial arts, Adesanya has claimed he was waiting for Pereira to “gas out” in that finishing sequence, despite maintaining he could understand Goddard’s decision to stop the fight.

“So, I was like, ‘OK, stand there, stand there, just don’t move, anymore, let him (Alex Pereira) gas out,” Israel Adesanya told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “So I was waiting for him to take big shots, so I put my head down; I could see his arms, and I could see his legs. That’s all I needed to look at. I know where his head is. So I’m just there moving, moving, moving. But to the referee, after two big shots and then I wobble, and I’m standing there looking like that, he’s going to be like, ‘Nah.’ And he’s being safe.”

“So when he (Marc Goddard) jumped in I’m like, ‘I’m fine. Aw, f*ck.’” Israel Adesanya continued. “I was literally just disappointed. I was waiting for him to gas out so I can do my work. I was going to take him down and then beat him up again.” 

Attempting to land himself an immediate title rematch with Brazilian finisher, Pereira next, Adesanya insisted that even if the new champion were to lose the title immediately in his first attempted title defense, he would fight him in a non-title bout in his Octagon return. 

Off the back of his stunning fifth round undisputed UFC middleweight title loss at UFC 281 last weekend, Israel Adesanya has slipped four places in the official pound-for-pound rankings after dropping his title, with opponent, Alex Pereira debuting in the pile behind compatriot, Charles Oliveira at #8 in the official pile. 

Taking main event honors at Madison Square Garden as part of the UFC 281 pay-per-view event, Israel Adesanya suffered an eventual fifth round knockout loss to Sao Paulo striker, Pereira, dropping his championship at the Octagon fence in a wild exchange.

Israel Adesanya calls for immediate title rematch with Alex Pereira

Off the back of his loss, Adesanya has slipped four spots in the official pound-for-pound rankings, all the way to number six, while event victor, Pereira has entered the list for the first time, and currently sits at number eight.

In more activity in the pound-for-pound rankings, newly minted lightweight best, Islam Makhachev has moved to number two in the pile beneath UFC 284 opponent, Alexander Volkanovski, while welterweight best, Leon Edwards has moved from number four, to number three. 

Off the back of his stunning light heavyweight victory over one-time title challenger, Dominick Reyes in a featured preliminary card matchup, Ryan Spann has moved to number 10 in the division, while Reyes, who suffered consecutive loss number four and knockout defeat number three, has slipped all the way to number 12. 

Cracking the top 10 rankings at the flyweight limit in her preliminary card matchup with Liverpool fan favorite, Molly McCann, surging division contender, Erin Blanchfield sits at number 10 in the division.

Since reclaiming the undisputed strawweight crown from Carla Esparza, Hebei finisher, Zhang Weili has moved to number three in the women’s pound-for-pound pile, behind just flyweight best, Valentina Shevchenko, and then two-weight champion, Amanda Nunes.