Official matchup between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira for UFC 281 at MSG in November confirmed.
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It is confirmed, Israel Adesanya vs Alex Periera. Both men are going to fight and reignite their lost rivalry . Israel Adesanya, the current middleweight champion of the UFC, and rising contender Alex Pereira’s fight has finally been scheduled. The forthcoming UFC 281 pay-per-view (PPV) event, which will air live on ESPN+ PPV from Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 12, is anticipated to feature the two middleweight competitors as its main attraction. According to a recent ESPN release, this is the case.
Adesanya, 33, recently defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision at UFC 276. This was his sixth consecutive middleweight championshipdefensee. The 185-pound monarch has been virtually unbeatable inside the cage even though “Last Stylebender” hasn’t achieved a finish inside the Octagon since his knockout victory over Paulo Costa back in 2020. For fight fans who have been hoping for more from Adesanya’s battles, it’s a good thing that Pereira will be his opponent.
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Pereira, 35, recently defeated Sean Strickland at UFC 276 with a brilliant first-round knockout victory. One of the finest all-around strikers in combat sports right now, the former two-division GLORY kickboxing champion consistently proves it each and every time he gets inside the cage, earning him a perfect 3-0 UFC record. While “Poatan” did defeat Adesanya by knockout during their fight in 2017 under the GLORY brand, mixed martial arts (MMA) is a whole separate discipline. To beat Adesanya at 185 pounds in MMA competition, Pereira will have to perform at the top of his game.
Alex Pereira probably knows Israel Adesanya’s phone number, at least in kickboxing. The eventual UFC middleweight champion and the Brazilian faced off twice, with the Brazilian winning both matches. At Glory of Heroes 1, Pereira and Adesanya initially met in April 2016. After three rounds, “Poatan” outworked Adesanya to win by unanimous decision. The contestants reconnected a year later at Glory of Heroes 15. Pereira defeated Adesanya in the rematch with a more convincing victory, handing him his first knockout loss. The Brazilian smashed Adesanya’s limp body into the canvas with a clubbing left hook.
Stephen Thompson declines the quick turnaround fight and wants Usman next.
