The Only Fighter to Knock Israel Adesanya Out Is Set to Make His UFC Debut at UFC 268

Glory Kickboxing legend Alex Pereira is getting ready to make his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the matchup, which will be at 185 pounds, according to sources.

Undoubtedly one of the most decorated kickboxers in Glory Kickboxing, Alex Pereira holds an astonishing record of 33-6. Pereira is a former Glory middleweight champion and recently became the champion of the light heavyweight division as well.

Interestingly, the former Glory middleweight has two wins against the current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Before transitioning to MMA, Adesanya suffered a unanimous decision against Pereira in 2016. A year later, ‘The Last Stylebender’ lost the rematch in emphatic fashion, after getting knocked out with a vicious left hook.

As of now, Alex Pereira is the only fighter to have a knockout victory against ‘The Last Stylebender’. Also, this isn’t the first time Pereira has tried his hand at MMA. He made his MMA debut back in 2015 under the banner of Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. Although he lost his first MMA bout, he made a quick turnaround, winning the next two fights.

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Soon after, Pereira took a break from MMA, only to come back. This time, under the banner of Legacy Fighting Alliance, he earned a first-round knockout victory against Thomas Powell.

Now, in his first UFC Fight Night, Pereira will look to make a statement against Andreas Michailidis. A fighter who is an elusive striker and has a strong background in wrestling.

Needless to say, Pereira has the potential to become one of the most decorated middleweights in the UFC. Depending on how things play out, we may very well have a worthy opponent for the Israel Adesanya, who has gone through most of the division until now.

Can Alex Pereira become the UFC middleweight champion?

Alex Pereira is perhaps one of the most dangerous pure strikers at 185 in the world. The only fighter to give Adesanya a knockout loss, Pereira, stands 6’4″ tall. His reach and size advantage allows him to keep opponents at the end of his punches, often ending the fight with a vicious finish.

However, considering the caliber of wrestlers and grapplers in the UFC, Pereira will have to work a lot more on his takedown defense. If Pereira can become extremely proficient in his takedown defense and work on his grappling, it won’t be a surprise to watch the Brazilian native blaze his way to the top.

What do you think? Can Alex Pereira defeat Israel Adesanya for a third time to become the UFC middleweight champion? Let us know in the comments.

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