Just days before his highly anticipated fight against Frenchman Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia’s main event, former champion Israel Adesanya revisited his legendary rivalry with Brazilian Alex Pereira.
“It’s easy to say it now, but damn, it took a lot of courage to face a man like him!”
On Saturday, Adesanya will take on a new challenge in the middleweight division (-84 kg), this time without the championship belt he defended for years. Interestingly, this will be his first non-title fight since UFC 236 in 2019.
In an interview with journalist Ariel Helwani, Adesanya spoke about his intense rivalry with “Poatan” Pereira, whom he faced twice in kickboxing and twice in MMA. The former middleweight champion emphasized how crucial these fights were in his career:
“God blessed me with a great rival like Alex Pereira and with an immense challenge that helped me grow.”
In response to these remarks, Pereira expressed his gratitude to Adesanya, explaining that without this rivalry, he might not have reached the heights he enjoys today as a two-division champion.
After their fierce battles, it seems that the relationship between Adesanya and Pereira has shifted from bitter rivalry to mutual respect. But does this mean their story is truly over? Or could fate bring them together once again inside the octagon?
