Michael Bisping claims Israel Adesanya may try to secure takedowns against Alex Pereira at UFC 281 because of "an ego thing"

Michael Bisping believes Israel Adesanya may try to secure a takedown against Alex Pereira at UFC 281 to remind the Brazilian about his well-rounded skills as a mixed martial artist.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Believe You Me podcast, Bisping claimed that Adesanya might attempt a takedown just to prove a point:

"All that time defending takedowns, you can bet your bottom dollar, he knows how to do a few takedowns. I guaran-f**ing-tee it. And I think he might just sprinkle in the odd one here and there if the opportunity presents itself."

The former UFC middleweight champion believes doing so will act as a reminder to Alex Pereira of the dominant run that 'The Last Stylebender' has embarked on since his switch to MMA:

"If he sees an opening, I think he might just do it just to go, 'Ah! Look at that.' And even if he takes him down, [he might] not follow him down. Just like point [at Pereira] and go, 'Welcome to mixed martial arts son. I've been doing this game longer than you. There's a reason that I'm the champion.' So, I think if he sees an opportunity to do that, he'll do it just for like a quick ego thing."

Watch the full podcast below:

Meanwhile, Israel Adesanya has promised to turn the upcoming grudge match against Alex Pereira at UFC 281 into a "horror movie." He has been posting a bunch of cryptic and dark messages on social media in the lead-up to the fight.

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Israel Adesanya claims that he cried backstage following a lackluster performance against Jared Cannonier

Israel Adesanya made the fifth successful defense of his UFC middleweight championship against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276. However, 'The Last Stylebender' fell short on his promise of a "violent finish" against Cannonier.

The seemingly monotonous performance faced the wrath of the MMA community, who continued to mock Adesanya for his unwillingness to take risks in fights. A lot was made of the fact that fans were seen leaving the arena before the final round of the bout.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani in a one-on-one interview on The MMA Hour, Adesanya claimed that he cried backstage with the recognition that he could have done a better job:

"I don’t hold onto things. I let myself feel them. People try to deny things and block it, if you fight your emotions they’ll get you later on. So I feel it. I cried backstage. Me and Eugene hugged it out and he told me, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.'"

Watch Israel Adesanya's full interview below: