By Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya share a storied rivalry across both kickboxing and MMA, having faced each other four times. Naturally, Pereira took to his YouTube channel to comment on Adesanya’s recent loss in an attempt to reclaim the UFC middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305.
Pereira expressed surprise at Adesanya’s performance, noting that he was confident the Nigerian-born fighter would emerge victorious. He speculated that an injury might have affected Adesanya’s ability to utilize a key technique—his inside leg kick, which Pereira regarded as a potent weapon against an opponent like du Plessis.
“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.”
Pereira pointed out that Adesanya’s reluctance to use the inside kick made the fight easier for du Plessis, as it reduced the threat level, allowing him to focus more on Adesanya’s boxing.
Adesanya responded to Pereira’s comments on social media, though he did not elaborate on the nature of his response. Pereira, however, maintained his respect for Adesanya, praising his fighting style and resilience. “Life goes on, I’ll be here cheering for him like I’ve always been saying,” Pereira added. “His story is marvelous. I mirror him a lot… but this last fight just wasn’t for him. I hope he recovers, strengthens his mind, and comes back stronger.”
Pereira also entertained the idea of returning to middleweight to challenge du Plessis. Although Pereira moved up to light heavyweight after losing his middleweight title to Adesanya, he hinted at a potential comeback to 185 pounds if the opportunity arose.
Dricus du Plessis, in a post-fight press conference, suggested that Pereira remain at 205 pounds to avoid the strain of weight cutting but offered to fight him at that weight in the future.
Pereira acknowledged the challenges of weight cutting, particularly as he ages, but stated he feels prepared for a return to middleweight. “I think if I go down one more time, I’ll do well. No excuses. I want to win,” Pereira said. He also noted that du Plessis’ comments might indicate fear, saying, “Seems like he is a bit scared. If it’s someone who really wants to fight me he would have said, ‘Come, I’m waiting for you.’ But no, he tried to make me scared so I wouldn’t do that, but he’s the one that’s scared.”
