Following Israel Adesanya’s loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305, fans looked towards the reaction of his iconic rival. Alex Pereira, longtime rival of Israel Adesanya, recently shared his thoughts on Adesanya’s UFC 293 defeat. On his YouTube channel, Pereira expressed surprise at the outcome, noting he was confident Adesanya would win and even speculated that an injury might have hindered his performance. As one of the few fighters who truly understands Adesanya’s game, Pereira’s analysis adds an intriguing layer to the ongoing conversation surrounding the former champion’s struggles.
Pereira Reacts To Israel Adesanya’s UFC 305 Loss
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have a storied history in combat sports, spanning four fights between kickboxing and MMA. Through those events, these fighters have become extremely perceptive of each other. Before Israel Adesanya’s return to the UFC action at UFC 305, Pereira took to social media and interviews to predict Adesanya’s victory. Following the ‘Stylebender’s’ disappointing loss, ‘Poatan’ Pereira commented on what he saw in the fight.
Of course, I don’t know how Adesanya was, Pereira said. When we are there, we don’t talk about injuries, we don’t talk about problems. We are there and we want to fight, want to win. No excuses. Maybe Adesanya had an injury, I don’t know. You could see he kicked very little. Things I say, that inside kick of Adesanya is very good. Not everyone can do that, but he can do it very well.
I knew it was a good weapon, and he didn’t continue doing that inside kick. Even Dricus said it bothered him, and also bothered me. I’ve said it before for the people who asked me. He didn’t continue to do it. When he is only throwing hands, I think it’s easier for the opponent to protect themselves, or to get out. It was more boxing there, so it was easier for [du Plessis].
Israel Adesanya Hints At Leg Injury During Title Fight
The analysis from Pereira was soon praised by Adesanya, giving respect to ‘Poatan’ via social media.
It’s weird how this guy knows me…it’s like we’ve spent hours studying eachother’s moves and fought multiple times or sumn’. I mean that.*salute* “- Israel Adesanya said on X.com
However, following fans (over)reaction to Israel’s response, Adesanya noted that he is not claiming an injury.
I just said ‘he knows my style.’ Go touch some grass please…- Adesaya stated on X
Pereira’s analysis still holds as Adesanya attempted a lowly nine leg kicks in his fourth-round loss to Du Plessis. In his decision loss to Sean Strickland in 2023, Adesanya attempted 57 total leg kicks. Given the statistical gap and Adesanya’s agreeance with Pereira, it is easy to assume something was bothering Izzy’s lower body.
Israel Adesanya’s Future Fight Prospects
Regardless of Israel Adesanya’s injury condition, he would benefit from waiting some time until his next fight. Sean Strickland is likely to challenge Dricus Du Plessis in the next UFC Middleweight title fight. However, the idea of Du Plessis going up to Light Heavyweight to challenge Alex Pereira has been talked about.
In fighting, anything can happen, you lose or win. I think it’s a good fight for me, Pereira said. Me and Dricus, I see the fighting style. I would do a completely different fight than Israel did. Of course, it’s what I imagine, but that can all change. I’m sure Israel imagined something else and it was different. But I would train, focus on a fight like this to do my best and leave with a win.
If an Alex Pereira versus Dricus Du Plessis fight is in the works, the Adesanya could have a Sean Strickland rematch occur sooner than expected. Adesanya may opt for a rising contender to get back into champion condition after losing three of his last four fights. Following Caio Borralho’s underdog defeat of Jared Cannonier, a matchup with Adesanya could give both fighters ample reason to fight.
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