Israel Adesanya doesn't think Alex Pereira will be able to cope with the pace he brings for their upcoming UFC title fight.
Middleweight champion Adesanya, 33, looks to make the sixth defence of his belt next weekend against former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281. 'The Last Stylebender' has already been beaten twice by Pereira in kickboxing, losing a controversial decision to the Brazilian in 2017 before being brutally knocked out by him in their rematch the following year.
Pereira, 35, is challenging for a UFC title after just three fights in the promotion, knocking out Sean Strickland on the undercard of Adesanya's last title defence to set up a trilogy fight with the champion. Adesanya predicts his rival will struggle just minutes into their fight because of the intense pace he will bring.
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“I honestly think within the first five minutes, even within the first three minutes, the pace that we’re gonna bring he’s not gonna be able to keep that,” Adesanya told AllStar. “In the first round, you’re gonna see him start to fold, he’s not gonna be able to keep that high pace. I know the kinda pace I can bring. He’s not gonna last. If this fight has to go each round, until someone falls. Trust me, I know who’s gonna stand. I know who’s gonna be left standing.”
Adesanya's head coach Eugene Bareman has put him through an extra tough training camp for his fight with Pereira after admitting that some top fighters at the City Kickboxing gym in Auckland were starting to get complacent. Bareman and Adesanya have taken part in next to no interviews ahead of UFC 281 as they look to stay as focused as possible on the fight.
Pereira has trolled Adesaya online by copying some of his training footage, including a clip in which Adesanya dodged tennis balls with his back against a wall. 'Poatan' also showed off his striking skills by hitting mitts whilst on a hoverboard and Adesanya admitted the Brazilian's attempts to wind him up have only made him more motivated.
“There’s a little extra motivation, definitely,” Adesanya added. "Now that it’s here, I didn’t ask for it, the universe bestowed this upon me and it’s a great opportunity to rewrite history. I don’t react. I’m like ‘what do you want from me?’ He wants me to react. I don’t react. I will respond with violence when it’s time.”
