Alex Pereira won’t wait for Israel Adesanya.
Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) called out Adesanya after finishing Jiri Prochazka to capture the vacant light heavyweight title, but Adesanya didn’t appear too interested.
Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) is currently taking some time off after losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September, and Pereira is ready to move on if “The Stylebender” isn’t willing to complete their trilogy.
“It doesn’t matter for me,” Pereira said through an interpreter during a recent Q&A hosted by Ares FC. “I called him out in the cage after the title win, and I wanted to give him the chance, and I saw he was not giving me any respect for this. He was laughing about it and making some jokes. So for me, it doesn’t matter anymore. I gave him the chance. If he comes up, nice. If he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter.”
After losing twice to Pereira in kickboxing and once in MMA, Adesanya finally got one up on “Poatan” when he knocked him out at UFC 287 in April. Pereira thinks Adesanya will likely want to sit on that win without ever fighting him again.
“I doubt if he really wants to fight me because talking serious, he won once against me,” Pereira said. “It was his dream to win against me. He did it. So now getting into this cage again with me, he knows everything can happen, and he can lose again.
“So I’m really doubting if he’s motivated to fight me again. I never choose my opponents. I don’t know what happens in the future, but I never choose. If he wants to fight, I welcome him in the cage.”
Since losing to Adesanya in April, Pereira moved up to light heavyweight and edged out former champ Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291, then finished Prochazka to claim the 205-pound title in November.
