Georges St-Pierre's coach believes losing rematch to Israel Adesanya could be a "blessing in disguise" for Alex Pereira

Georges St-Pierre's coach Firas Zahabi thinks that Alex Pereira losing to Israel Adesanya in a rematch won't be the worst thing for his career. In fact, the legendary MMA trainer believes it could even be a blessing in disguise.

Pereira staged a valiant come-from-behind knockout win against Adesanya to become the new middleweight champion at UFC 281. However, the Brazilian's deficiencies were exposed after Adesanya dominated him in the grappling department.

With that in mind, Zahabi is convinced that having the series extended could be beneficial for Pereira. That way, 'Poatan' could focus on improving his wrestling without having to face the division's elite wrestlers. During a live Q&A session with fans on YouTube, Zahabi said:

"Guys, I think we can see he's the best striker on Earth. Pound-for-pound, he is the greatest striker on Earth. I don't think the greatest knockout artist on Earth, but the greatest striker on Earth. However, in my opinion, there are fighters who can take him down and hold him down and maul him. There are guys out there. And he needs time. He needs time to develop to make sure that doesn't happen. That he's not that thrown too easily and I think he has maybe one or two fights with Izzy."

Zahabi went on to outline a scenario in which Adesanya beats Pereira in the rematch, ensuring the third installment in the rivalry. The Tristar Gym head coach continued:

"If Izzy wins the next one, it could be a blessing. It could be a blessing in disguise. He fights Izzy the third time, beats him, that'll give him a good year to get his wrestling up to par."

Check out Firas Zhabi's comments on Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira below:

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Israel Adesanya comments on his KO loss to Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya suffered his first defeat in the UFC middleweight division against Alex Pereira. To make matters worse for Adesanya, he was on his way to securing a victory before Pereira connected with a massive left hook that led to the finish.

However, Adesanya reassured his fans that he'll be back to reclaim his title. Breaking his silence after the loss, 'The Last Stylebender' took to Instagram to write:

"LOVE THIS GAME!!! Attacking Titans like this one thrills me!! Another chapter to 'Poatan' 🗿. You won the battle yet again, but the war wages on! The hunter now becomes the hunted, the game’s not over"

Catch Israel Adesanya's post below: