Israel Adesanya is just days away from sharing the Octagon against his longtime rival Alex Pereira and is willing to put everything in his arsenal to stay dominant through and through the fight.
“The Last Stylebender” has crossed paths with Pereira three times in the past and has been unsuccessful in each one of them. The two fought twice in kickboxing and once in MMA, with “Poatan” having a clean 3-0 record over Izzy.
This Saturday, the two fighters will be locking horns once again, serving as the main event of UFC 287 in Miami- a rematch to their UFC 281 encounter where Pereira ended Adesanya’s Middleweight title reign.
I just plan on dominating, and when I’m dominating the finish comes: Israel Adesanya
Despite having been dominated by Pereira so far, Adesanya believes this time he will turn things around, as he believes he will not only avenge his loss, but also outperform the Brazilian across the five rounds.
“I don’t get paid by the round. I feel like, I don’t think there is (an) emphasis, I just plan on dominating, and when I’m dominating the finish comes,” said Adesanya during a recent interview with TMZ Sports. “I’m not putting emphasis on the finish itself, but I plan on dominating from the start to the finish and staying dangerous every second of this fight.”
“I am surprised by that, to be honest, because I thought these bookies were not as smart as they are,” he went on, “I’m surprised they actually picked me as the favorite because I am the more polished fighter, but he’s just the guy that’s got the tools, he’s got that nuke. Only a few fighters in history have that. Eugene said in an interview, you’re lucky to face a Mike Tyson. You’re lucky to face a guy like David Tua. You’re lucky to face a guy like Deontay Wilder, even just once in your career. You’re lucky to face a guy like Alex Pereira even once in your career. So yeah, lucky me.” [H/T BJPenn.com]
Do you think Israel Adesanya will be able to make a comeback against Alex Pereira at UFC 287? Let us know in the comment section below.
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