UFC News: Israel Adesanya Thrown a Lifeline for Epic UFC Return as Alex Pereira Offers to Train With Bitter Rival

The fans are well aware of the legendary rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira that began in their career in kickboxing and carried over to MMA! Both men first faced each other in the GLORY kickboxing ring with their first fight ending in a decision victory for Pereira in 2016. They fought again in 2017, which saw Adesanya suffer a devastating knockout from the trademark ‘Poatan’ left hook.

With Pereira’s move to the UFC in 2021, fans expected the rivalry to continue inside the Octagon and it did, with the Brazilian claiming the middleweight title from Adesanya at UFC 281. But ‘The Last Stylebender’ avenged the MMA loss with his knockout win over Pereira at UFC 287. As such, in a recent interview, Alex Pereira revealed that despite the rivalry between the pair, he would still be open to training with Adesanya, but only if one condition is met!                       

Alex Pereira will train with Israel Adesanya only if they never fight again 

During his recent appearance on ‘The MMA Hour’ with Ariel Helwani, Alex Pereira was asked about training with his rivals, with the example of Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier’s famous rivalry brought up to compare with him and Israel Adesanya.

However, Pereira revealed a unique perspective on the situation, as he stated through his interpreter, “Just that fact that he don’t think they’ll fight no more, if somehow he feel that they will still fight again, no. But if he could be absolutely sure that they’ll never face each other again, why not?”

The Brazilian also emphasized the importance of letting go of rivalry after the competition ends. He recounted how Yousri Belgaroui, once a fierce rival in kickboxing, became a training partner after their clashes. According to Pereira, “…when still competing, it’s good to have a big rivalry, but after it’s done, you can’t hold on to it.“

‘Poatan’s willingness to reconcile with Adesanya demonstrates his maturity and respect for the sport. And as ‘The Last Stylebender’ gears up to make his much-awaited return to the Octagon, Pereira’s comments add an interesting layer to his comeback.

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In the same conversation, ‘Poatan’ also revealed how he became a part of the upcoming, highly anticipated UFC 300 event!

Pereira reveals UFC 300 addition was not planned in advance  

At UFC 300, Alex Pereira will defend his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill. Originally slated for UFC 301 in May, the bout was rescheduled and is now set for April 13. As such, ‘Poatan’ recently revealed how his involvement in the historic card came about.

In conversation with Ariel Helwani, Pereira stated, “The original verbal agreement, not signed, was to fight at UFC 301 in Brazil – May event, Jamahal Hill. But a few days ago they called, and my manager called us asking to headline UFC 300. I liked the idea.”

He also revealed in the interview that despite initially expecting to fight at UFC 301 in Brazil, Pereira sensed a shift was imminent. His intuition proved correct when UFC officials proposed the move to UFC 300, a decision he readily accepted.

Pereira’s rapid ascent in the UFC has been remarkable, marked by securing multiple titles and etching his name in combat sports history. As he gears up to defend his light heavyweight title against Hill, Pereira’s journey serves as a testament to his skill and determination in the Octagon.

Do you think Jamahal Hill has what it takes to claim the title from Alex Pereira at UFC 300? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

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