Israel Adesanya is going into his UFC 287 main event rematch with Alex Pereira like it’s his last opportunity at redemption.
‘The Last Stylebender’ ruled over the promotion’s middleweight division with an iron fist until a boogeyman from his past reemerged like something out of a movie. Own two wins over Adesanya under the GLORY Kickboxing banner, Alex Pereira ventured into the world of mixed martial arts and only needed three fights inside the Octagon to earn a shot at dethroning his old kickboxing nemesis.
Pereira did exactly that, shocking the world with a fifth-round knockout of ‘Stylebender’ to capture the UFC middleweight title in November. Now sitting 0-3 against Pereira, Adesanya is going into their rematch on April 8 as though it is his last opportunity to defeat the man that has haunted him for the last seven years. Before heading to Miami to prepare for the UFC 287 headliner, Adesanya spoke with Combat TV regarding his mindset going into the highly anticipated clash and why he believes it’s his final shot to score that ever-elusive win.
Adesanya Embraces Pressure Ahead of UFC 287 Showdown with Pereira
“I just feel for me. I think it’s for me. I just like to put that pressure on myself,” Adesanya said. “I mean, I fight at 205 too, but I just like to put that pressure on myself. Also, I don’t like fighting the same people. I want to fight different bodies. I want to take other heads. I want to get this guy. Going to get this guy and then I can move on to another head.”
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira via the 𝗙𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 camera! 🔥
They rematch at #UFC287 next Saturday night!! pic.twitter.com/v09zO1RNz1
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) March 31, 2023
As far as his preparations for UFC 287, Israel Adesanya has been gradually ramping up his camps over the last few years and believes that his most recent camp is his best yet.
“Good. Very very good. Since the Vettori… Oh no, since the Rob part two fight, each camp has… Eugene said something about making each one better and I feel like I’ve stepped up every camp. Next one’s better. Next one’s better and this one, you can ask anyone in here who’s been with me training, they can tell you the amount of work and effort I’ve actually put into this. This is completely different to any other camp and the next one after this I’m gonna make it even better.”
Prior to his knockout loss against Alex Pereira in November, Israel Adesanya was undefeated in the UFC’s middleweight division, earning 12 straight victories at 185 pounds.
