Israel Adesanya maintains he’ll beat Alex Pereira at UFC 287: ‘He knows I can. We’ll see come fight time’
Israel Adesanya believes he will finally score a win over long-time rival Alex Pereira.
That is something ‘The Last Stylebender’ has failed to do on three separate occasions across two different sports. Nevertheless, the former middleweight champion is convinced that the fourth time will be the charm come April 8 when he steps inside the Octagon one more time with the towering Brazilian kickboxer.
To get fans hyped up for their highly anticipated rematch, the promotion has released a trailer for UFC 287 Countdown.
Israel Adesanya Knows This is His Last Chance to Beat Alex Pereira
Despite coming up short on three prior occasions, Israel Adesanya is confident that he will finally solve the puzzle that is Alex Pereira. The pair previously matched up under the GLORY Kickboxing banner in 2016 and 2017 with Pereira earning victories in each outing. ‘Poatan’ scored a particularly nasty knockout of Adesanya in their second meeting. The image of ‘Stylebender’ being fed oxygen following the defeat was heavily used while marketing their first scrap inside the Octagon at UFC 281 last year.
The stakes have never been higher for Israel Adesanya. Not only will he be seeking that ever-elusive win over his own personal boogeyman, but it will likely be his last chance to do so. Add in the drama of a UFC title hanging in the balance and you have a truly can’t-miss moment in combat sports history.
“I like it cause it puts it all on me,” Adesanya said in recently released training footage. “It’s kind of poetic in a way. Like I said, one life. Roll the dice. It’s my last shot. I’m going to give it all I’ve got in every sense of the word.”
