7:59 AM ET
Marc RaimondiESPN Staff Writer
ISRAEL ADESANYA SAT DOWN for an interrogation with Sporting News Australia 2 years ago, up of his UFC middleweight rubric defence against Yoel Romero astatine UFC 248.
In that video, published connected March 3, 2020, Adesanya, wearing a reddish windbreaker with the collar up and sporting a mid-high-fade haircut, was asked astir his 2017 kickboxing nonaccomplishment to Alex Pereira via knockout. At the clip of the interview, Adesanya had already held UFC golden for astir a year, starting with the interim middleweight belt, and was considered 1 of the champion pound-for-pound MMA fighters successful the world.
The decision against Pereira felt similar past past -- and Adesanya was glib astir however helium thought astir the nonaccomplishment and his erstwhile foe, noting that Pereira posted connected societal media astir him aft each of Adesanya's UFC victories.
"I've ne'er ever watched immoderate of his fights, ever," Adesanya told Sporting News Australia backmost then. "At the extremity of the day, nary 1 knows who the f--- helium is, and he's going to beryllium that feline erstwhile I'm satellite champion and erstwhile I'm a legend, he's going to beryllium astatine immoderate pub talking s--- astir 'I bushed that feline 1 time.'"
The video present has much than 200,000 views -- plentifulness of those belonging to Pereira. He watched and listened from 7,000 miles distant successful Sao Paulo, Brazil, arsenic Adesanya said those words, and they ignited thing successful him. Seven months later, Pereira signed a declaration with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) and began transitioning from kickboxing to MMA.
The UFC signed Pereira aft conscionable 1 LFA fight, a brutal first-round knockout, and astir 1 twelvemonth to the time aft his UFC debut, Pereira volition person a acquainted look lasting crossed from him successful the Octagon. Adesanya volition support his UFC middleweight rubric against Pereira, the antheral who has beaten him doubly successful kickboxing and handed him his lone knockout loss, successful the main lawsuit of UFC 281 connected Saturday astatine New York's Madison Square Garden (10 p.m. ET connected ESPN+ PPV).
Adesanya calls it a "beautiful arc," a accidental to instrumentality retired the antheral who was his boogeyman successful kickboxing. Pereira, meanwhile, has had Adesanya successful his crosshairs since that interview, a surviving embodiment of the fearfulness movie "It Follows." Former Glory Kickboxing CEO Jon Franklin said it could again beryllium Adesanya's Waterloo, oregon astir crushing defeat.
"I ne'er forgot immoderate connection that helium said," Pereira told ESPN done an interpreter. "I utilized that arsenic information to ascent each the mode up present for this.
"I'm similar the chromatic successful his shoe."
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1:19
Despite being favored successful his combat against Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya believes the unit is connected the Brazilian.
THE FIRST TIME Adesanya and Pereira fought was April 2, 2016, for a Chinese kickboxing promotion called Glory of Heroes.
Adesanya had won 18 consecutive fights betwixt kickboxing and MMA going into the bout with Pereira. He was already regarded arsenic 1 of the champion middleweight kickboxers successful the world. Pereira was inactive trying to marque a sanction for himself successful the sport. He had lone 15 kickboxing matches full and had mislaid to each different apical combatant successful the part helium had faced up until that point.
Pereira bushed Adesanya via a precise adjacent unanimous decision. Adesanya believes helium should person been fixed the triumph and points to some fighters' faces aft the bout -- Pereira looked much banged up -- arsenic proof. But regardless, Adesanya represented Pereira's archetypal triumph implicit an elite-level opponent.
The triumph didn't propel Pereira, though. He went 1-1 successful his adjacent 2 fights, portion Adesanya reeled disconnected 7 consecutive victories, including a triumph implicit Yousri Belgaroui to triumph the Glory middleweight contender tournament. Adesanya failed to triumph the Glory title, falling to Jason Wilnis via a precise adjacent unanimous decision.
It was different disappointing determination nonaccomplishment that Adesanya felt helium had won. And the thoughts of that decision lingered successful his adjacent fight, conscionable six weeks aboriginal -- against Pereira again, connected March 4, 2017, successful Pereira's hometown of Sao Paulo. Adesanya corrected his mistakes from the archetypal combat and wholly dominated Pereira for 2 rounds, moving successful and retired and piecing Pereira up.
"From what I remember, Israel was giving him a schooling," said Simon Marcus, different apical kickboxing middleweight who fought some Adesanya and Pereira successful his career. "Taking him to school, landing astatine will. Alex wasn't truly landing much. He looked similar helium was getting frustrated and each that."
Near the extremity of the 2nd round, Adesanya was landing large combinations and letting close manus aft close manus fly, astir of which deed their mark: Pereira's skull. The referee stepped successful astatine 1 constituent to telephone for a lasting knockdown, which Adesanya has since called into question since helium believed helium was nearing a finish. Pereira ended up surviving the onslaught and made it to the bell.
Pereira upped the unit successful the 3rd round, walking Adesanya down and throwing large punches and precocious kicks. And past the last series came: Adesanya ducked a close precocious footwear and threw 1 of his ain back. Pereira blocked it, moved guardant and fto rip a combination: a close hook followed by a near hook. Adesanya tried to get his close mitt up to support the left, but it was excessively late. Pereira connected hard and Adesanya dropped to the canvas adjacent harder. The combat was implicit and Adesanya had been knocked retired for the archetypal time.
"The knockout was a shock, due to the fact that Adesanya had ne'er gotten knocked out," Belgaroui said. "That was big. That was besides similar a come-up for Alex."
Adesanya said the Wilnis nonaccomplishment and critics saying helium couldn't permission it successful the hands of the judges messed with his head. When helium was trying to decorativeness Pereira successful the 2nd round, helium got distant from what made him large -- his quality to prime opponents apart.
"I was much huffy astatine myself," Adesanya said. "The information that I didn't enactment existent to my style, the mode I fight. I fto immoderate things from extracurricular into my psyche and fuss me. I had him connected the ropes and I thought, I'm going to get him retired of here. ... I conscionable spammed close hands and that was not my style."
Pereira believes the 2 victories, including the knockout, springiness him a intelligence borderline going into their combat Saturday successful a antithetic combat sport.
"Absolutely, I'm successful his head," Pereira said. "It's intolerable to not be. I bushed him 2 times. If I'm not successful his head, past he's not human."
Adesanya, of course, has a antithetic perspective.
"This combat doesn't fuss maine successful a consciousness like, 'What's the worst happening that tin happen? He's going to sound maine out?'" Adesanya said. "Bro, conscionable spell connected YouTube. You tin look astatine it. That frees maine successful a batch of sense. I'm similar each right, the worst has already happened. Now, I conscionable person to spell retired determination and f--- this feline up."
2:47
Alex Pereira explains however the transportation to his indigenous roots helps consciousness connected to a higher purpose.
ANDERSON SILVA GOT up onto a signifier acceptable up astatine his Los Angeles gym for a quality league to beforehand his upcoming combat with Adesanya astatine UFC 234. It was Jan. 22, 2019, and Silva, the erstwhile longtime UFC middleweight champion, had conscionable completed a workout for the media assembled.
On the dais, to Silva's right, was Pereira, besides determination to reply questions. Silva's squad brought Pereira into Silva's grooming campy a period earlier due to the fact that of Pereira's acquisition against Adesanya. Pereira besides accompanied Silva to Melbourne, Australia, wherever Adesanya defeated Silva by unanimous determination connected Feb. 10, 2019.
Adesanya said it was the archetypal clip Pereira had been connected his radar since the kickboxing knockout. The Nigerian-born New Zealander chalked it up to Silva being a "funny guy."
"I thought Anderson was trying to psych maine out," Adesanya said.
That Pereira was antithetic from the 1 who fought Adesanya successful 2017. Following the Adesanya KO, Pereira won 10 of his adjacent 11 kickboxing fights and earned the Glory middleweight and airy heavyweight titles. During that stretch, from 2017 to 2021, Pereira knocked retired 7 opponents and earned 2 wins implicit Marcus, whom Pereira bushed for the Glory middleweight belt.
"I deliberation what happened with Pereira is helium ever had that punch power," Marcus said. "He ever had it, and helium was capable to usage it. But I consciousness similar that combat with Israel and past my combat connected apical of that truly gave him much assurance of what helium tin bash with it. And past we spot him spell connected a tally of conscionable knocking everybody out. ... He was laying retired everybody successful beforehand of him."
Adesanya wasn't the same, either. He was starring successful MMA and good connected his mode to being the champion middleweight combatant successful the UFC. Two months aft beating Silva, Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum to go the UFC interim middleweight champion, and astatine UFC 243 connected Oct. 6, 2019, successful beforehand of 57,127 astatine Marvel Stadium successful Melbourne, Australia, Adesanya knocked retired Robert Whittaker to gain undisputed gold.
Pereira was a distant representation by then. Adesanya said helium hardly adjacent recalls those comments helium made to Sporting News Australia astir Pereira anterior to the Romero fight.
"It sounds similar me," Adesanya said. "I benignant of retrieve it. I don't retrieve wherever I said it, but I retrieve reasoning thing similar that."
But successful Sao Paulo, those words burned into Pereira's brain. He had fought 3 times successful MMA backmost successful 2015 and 2016, but helium decided successful 2020 that helium would marque the implicit transition. That summer, helium moved to Connecticut to go portion of UFC airy heavyweight large Glover Teixeira's team. Pereira enactment Thomas Powell to slumber with 1 large close manus successful his LFA debut successful November 2020.
Once his Glory obligations were complete, Pereira went close to the UFC and knocked retired Andreas Michailidis successful his debut astatine UFC 268 connected Nov. 6, 2021, astatine Madison Square Garden. Adesanya had not been paying overmuch attraction to Pereira up until that point, helium said, but helium watched that decorativeness and knew the UFC was astir to "push him."
"I could archer consecutive away," Adesanya said. "And I welcomed it. Because I already cleared a way for him, due to the fact that I already cleared retired the part anyway."
Pereira, though, had to bash his portion -- and helium did. He bushed Bruno Silva via unanimous determination backmost successful March. He past had a featured combat with contender Sean Strickland astatine UFC 276 connected July 2; a paper Adesanya headlined against Jared Cannonier. Pereira starched Strickland with punches, finishing him by knockout astatine conscionable 2:36 of the archetypal round.
Adesanya dominated Cannonier by unanimous decision, and the signifier was set. Adesanya had achieved excellence successful the UFC arsenic 1 of the champion pound-for-pound fighters connected the satellite with 12 consecutive middleweight wins and 5 rubric defenses. And present Pereira stands successful his mode for a 3rd time.
"And you astir apt can't get that retired of your mind, you know?" said Franklin, who was the CEO of Glory Kickboxing from 2014 to 2018. "The communicative present could beryllium conscionable that. What bash they telephone it, your Waterloo? Where you've got to marque a constituent and beryllium you are astatine the apical of your crippled and you person to bushed your nemesis. The feline conscionable keeps showing up -- helium can't suffer him. And present helium is again."
BELGAROUI HAS FOUGHT Pereira successful kickboxing 3 times, beating him once, and besides has a combat successful the ringing against Adesanya, who defeated him. Pereira did immoderate grooming successful Belgaroui's location state of the Netherlands earlier this twelvemonth and sparred with his erstwhile foe. Because Pereira's squad was blessed with the high-level enactment helium was getting in, Belgaroui was invited to beryllium portion of Pereira's grooming campy with Teixeira successful Connecticut.
In training, the long, 6-foot-5 Belgaroui has been mimicking Adesanya successful sparring sessions with Pereira, and Pereira's squad has been bullish astir Belgaroui's beingness being benignant of a concealed weapon. Belgaroui said helium has been blown distant by Pereira's powerfulness successful training, comparing him favorably to legendary Dutch kickboxers.
"I person many, galore rounds with Melvin Manhoef, Badr Hari, Alistair Overeem," Belgaroui said. "These are each hard hitters. Heavyweights, arsenic well. But still, I'm going to archer you the rounds that we spar present -- [Pereira's] punches are harder than those 3 guys. It's true."
Belgaroui, who present besides competes successful MMA, said he's impressed with what Adesanya has accomplished successful the UFC. But helium believes "The Last Stylebender" has been taking vantage of fighters who don't person astir arsenic overmuch acquisition astatine the highest levels of striking. Brazilian jiu-jitsu guys and wrestlers, Belgaroui said, don't cheque limb kicks. And that has been 1 of Adesanya's top tools, particularly successful a demolition of Paulo Costa astatine UFC 253 successful September 2020.
"He chops down the legs and past they can't bash thing anymore," Belgaroui said of Adesanya. "They conscionable don't expect however overmuch interaction that tin have. Like Costa, helium kicked his limb to s--- and with each footwear helium went 1 loop lower. Low kick, brownish belt. Low kick, purple belt. Low kick, bluish belt."
Adesanya laughed erstwhile helium was asked astir Belgaroui's beingness successful Pereira's camp. He calls Belgaroui "Kris Humphries" owed to his resemblance to the erstwhile NBA subordinate and ex-husband of Kim Kardashian.
"It's the aforesaid happening Anderson did [with Pereira]," Adesanya said. "Cool, bro, you got a gangly feline who strikes thing similar me. Way to go."
Adesanya downplays the conception of Pereira arsenic immoderate benignant of boogeyman. Comparing this concern to a video game, Adesanya said Pereira is simply a boss, but not the "final boss." He's looking astatine this simply arsenic different portion of his communicative that "will beryllium epically told for years to come."
"The communicative itself motivates me," Adesanya said. "I unrecorded my beingness similar I'm Player One. I said that past clip I was successful New York. I'm the feline who's operating the s---. Everything other is conscionable bots astir me. So for me, I archer the communicative however I privation to archer the story. That's wherefore I look astatine it and I play it similar a video game."
Pereira views it differently. He sees a formidable hostile helium bushed doubly -- erstwhile by brutal knockout -- who should person near good capable unsocial and not brought up his sanction successful specified a way.
Adesanya's punishment for that? The lone antheral who has knocked Adesanya retired has followed him crossed years, continents and antithetic combat sports close backmost to that nonstop spot crossed the warring aboveground for conflict No. 3.
"They asked astir maine and Adesanya said I was conscionable a nobody, and years from present I'll beryllium conscionable a feline drunk astatine a barroom with a batch of [girls] saying 'I fought that feline once,' but I'd ne'er marque it up there," Pereira said. "The time aft the fight, I'll beryllium laughing and remembering what Israel said. For immoderate people, that tin little your self-esteem. For me, it was motivation."
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