Israel Adesanya shook the entire MMA world with a spectacular victory at UFC 287 against his longtime rival, Alex Pereira. Adesanya, who had lost three previous matches against Pereira, made history with a knockout victory against ‘Poatan’ in round two. This indeed paved the way for the biggest win in the career of ‘The Last Stylebender’. At the moment, Adesanya’s record stands at 24 victories and just two losses. For Adesanya, the bout undoubtedly put him in a do-or-die situation. If at all he lost the bout, Adesanya knew that it would take him farther away from the middleweight belt, which was once his.
Nonetheless, the Nigerian fighter’s mind-blowing knockout has changed the game and made him the middleweight champion of the world. The entire UFC world was taken to the edge of their seats during the fight, and when Adesanya’s hand was raised, it called for a celebration among his fans. His fellow MMA fighters showered the new champion with lots of praise. Moreover, the UFC president, Dana White, came forward to say great things about the 33-year-old.
Dana White praises Israel Adesanya for being like Conor McGregor
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The UFC boss was in the post-fight press conference at UFC 287, during which one of the reporters asked White about his take on Adesanya’s victory. As an answer to the question, White said, “You know, in interviews leading up to this fight, ‘Do you think he’s [Israel Adesanya] messed up mentally’? And ‘do you think he’s in his head’? And I did not think that… a lot of sh*t is talked in public.“
Talking further on the same topic, White continued, “Like ‘oh I want this fight’ and then behind the scenes, it’s a whole another ball game. Israel Adesanya is not that guy. Israel Adesanya will fight anybody, anywhere, anytime, and the guy likes to fight three times a year even though he has the belt. A lot these guys get the belt and start making that really big money, ‘I’ll fight two times’ and it goes down to one time, and how it goes you’ve seen it. But not this kid. He’s special. He’s different.” The words of the boss proved that Adesanya has the exact mentality of the UFC superstar, Conor McGregor, as he is ready to defend his belt as many times as the promotion demands. Furthermore, Adesanya’s attitude is the epitome of real sportsmanship, according to White. He is open to any challenges that come his way.
Alex Pereira is a “Monster”
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While talking about the fight between the two, the UFC boss felt that it was a war. While praising Adesanya, White didn’t forget to mention the former middleweight king, Alex Pereira. White said that Pereira is a “monster” and that now he can move up to achieve great victories in a new division.
Nonetheless, as the UFC president often gives huge surprises to the MMA community, the possibility of a trilogy match between the two cannot be ruled out.
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What do you think about the possibility of a trilogy match between the two? Do let us know in the comments below.
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