UFC Champ Israel Adesanya’s Ex-Opponent Recalls “Scary” Sequence That Led to Alex Pereira’s Knockout at UFC 287: “He Was Moving His Head…”

Alex Pereira suffered a major upset at UFC 285 when a long-time rival, Israel Adesanya, turned the tables on him. Adesanya finally ended Pereira’s three-fight winning streak against him with a stunning knockout victory at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. This victory earned Adesanya high praise for his remarkable performance.

Jared Cannonier, who had previously faced Adesanya in the octagon, expressed his thoughts on the fight and commended ‘The Last Stylebender’ for his outstanding performance. Furthermore, ‘The Killa Gorilla’ also offered his thoughts on the fight, revealing how he was momentarily worried for Adesanya during the intense action.

Alex Pereira got Jared Cannonier on the edge of his seat

Speaking with Helen Yee, Jared Cannonier revealed what went through his mind while watching the rematch between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. While on the subject, the middleweight star revealed that at one point, ‘Poatan’ scared him.

He said, “It was scary seeing Pereira unload- open up on him against the fence like that again. And I was like, ‘Oh, what’s gonna happen here?’. And he was moving his head, just like last time.” 

“It was very exciting. And I was over some friend’s house and it was fun to watch happen.”, added the Dallas native.

Read more: “I Would’ve Did Something…”: Fellow Middleweight Star Gives His Two Cents on Israel Adesanya Mocking Alex Pereira’s Kid After the KO at UFC 287

Alex Pereira is no longer a middleweight fighter, as he recently announced his move to the light heavyweight division following his loss against Israel Adesanya. Moreover, Jared Cannonier, who has previously fought in the light heavyweight division, shared his thoughts on how the Brazilian can fare well and succeed.

Jared Cannonier has helpful LHW advice for ‘Poatan’

In discussion with Helen Yee, the 39-year-old Cannonier expressed his confidence in Pereira’s abilities in the light heavyweight division, saying, “I think he’ll do fine, you know.” He further talked about what challenge Pereira could meet with in there and how he could cruise through it.

Cannonier said, “He’s a big striker. He’s already a big guy… And with that size and stature on striking, you know, as long as he’s ready to fend off a grappler. Because, you know, that’s what they are going to be trying to do- grapple him. But as long as he’s good enough to fend off those grapplers, I think he’s going to be doin some damage at light heavyweight.”

While fans have been yearning for a trilogy fight between Pereira and Adesanya, it seems to be off the table for now. However, it will be interesting to see how the Brazilian performs in the light heavyweight division against bigger opponents.

Do you think Alex Pereira can dominate the light heavyweight division? Let us know in the comments below.

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