Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira’s rivalry is the stuff of legends. Their story, woven through kickboxing rings and the UFC Octagon, has captivated fans with its twists and turns. Yet, beyond the punches and knockouts, this feud has matured into something deeper—respect. Let’s rewind for a second. Adesanya has faced Pereira four times across two sports.

The Brazilian powerhouse emerged victorious in their first three encounters, including a shocking fifth-round comeback TKO win at UFC 281. But in April 2023, at UFC 287, ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally had his moment. With a thunderous KO, he reclaimed his middleweight belt, silenced critics, and finally got one back over ‘Poatan’.

But was this the end of their famed rivalry? The former middleweight champion seems to think so. According to a post shared on Instagram by Full Violence, Adesanya stated in 2024, “My story with him is over. Still 3-1 damn it… I think Poatan is on a tear right now. He’s just too good. I hope he retires undefeated like the rest of his career. It’ll just be like, ‘I beat that **** one time’.”

Since then, life has moved on for both fighters. Pereira has leveled up to the light heavyweight division and now holds its championship with 3 defenses already under his belt. Meanwhile, Adesanya lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in a massive upset and came up short in his quest to regain the throne against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.

Yet, for all his bravado, Israel Adesanya has come to terms with the scoreboard between him and ‘Poatan’. And in the world of MMA where such honesty is a rare sight, it struck a chord with the fans, sparking admiration for the humility on display by the former champion. Here’s a look at what the MMA sphere had to say online.

Israel Adesanya garners the fans’ respect as he closes the door on his rivalry with Alex Pereira  

For the fans, the growth displayed by Israel Adesanya in accepting his losses to Alex Pereira is something other fighters can learn from. Enter Jamahal Hill, who keeps catching strays for his antics after his loss to ‘Poatan’. Hill lost to the Brazilian via a spectacular first-round knockout at UFC 300 yet in a statement after the fight claimed, “I took no damage, most of the fall was just me falling down – I remember everything, I remember looking up seeing his legs and trying to block, reach for the underhook…”

“The character development of Izzy is amazing. Hopefully Jamahal Hill can learn something from this.”

Others were more interested in seeing Adesanya and Pereira sharpening their weapons against one another in the gym. While their rivalry got very heated at certain points during the build-up to their two clashes in the UFC, ‘Poatan’ is ready to leave all of that in the past. In an interview with The MMA Hour, the Brazilian confessed, “But I think it’s over. I don’t know. I’d even train with him if I had the opportunity. He’s very experienced, he’s done what he’s done, and I’m also very experienced and have been doing many things.”

“Just want to see these two training together bro”

The knockout from UFC 287 didn’t escape mention from the fans either as they dubbed it arguably the “greatest comeback” moment in the sport’s history. Yet, even with ‘The Last Stylebender’ currently on a 2-fight skid, there is still hope from the fans for a resurgence of the man who is still one of the most lethal strikers to ever step foot into the Octagon.

“Izzy had the greatest comeback ko probably in history, it’s smart to call it done, his legend grew that night. I pray his career has a 3rd arc”

With a kickboxing record of 75-5, the fans pointed out that Israel Adesanya has cemented his place as one of the best kickboxers to ever successfully cross over to the UFC. With names like Alistair Overeem, Mark Hunt, and Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, all coming from kickboxing backgrounds, it was ‘The Last Stylebender’ who took the kickboxing style to heights never seen before in the sport.

“Now that he’s admitted his shortcomings let’s not forget Izzy is one of the greatest kickboxers the UFC has ever seen”

Others rightfully pointed out that since making his Octagon debut in 2018, Adesanya was undefeated in his professional MMA career and the UFC till 2021. Even then, he only lost a unanimous decision to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 when he went up to light heavyweight to secure a second title. He bounced back with a 3-fight winning streak before running into ‘Poatan’ for the first time at UFC 281, and the rest is history.

“And let’s not forget how good Izzy actually is.. his run was something special.”

In conclusion, Israel Adesanya may have closed the book on his saga with Alex Pereira but for the fans, this isn’t just about wins and losses—it’s about evolution, resilience, and character. Their battles etched themselves into MMA lore, and their mutual respect now stands as a testament to the power of growth and sportsmanship. And as the MMA world waits for what’s next, one can’t help but wonder—could the best of ‘The Last Stylebender’ still be on the horizon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!