"Very confident" Alex Pereira has "hard and dangerous sparring" with Zhilei Zhang

Alex Pereira has been training hard ahead of his first defense of the UFC middleweight title and insists that he is "very confident" of going up against Israel Adesanya for the fourth time in combat sports.

Making his octagon debut in late 2021, the South American made a quick ascension through the rankings and earned a title shot after just three fights under the UFC banner. While many believed he was offered a chance at gold too soon, the middleweight silenced the doubters with a huge performance at UFC 281.

In a post on social media, Alex Pereira discussed how his sparring with Zhilei Zhang has shaped him for his upcoming fight on April 8 as he looks to put Israel Adesanya to the sword once again.

"What a sparring! After 4 rounds with Zhilei Zhang, I'm very confident about my next fight! It was a hard and dangerous sparring—exactly what I needed. Now I know even more, I'm a hundred percent ready for 8th of April!"

Zhang is a notable name in the heavyweight boxing scene, best known for his destructive knockout power. He has an impressive 24-1-1 record throughout his years in the sport and is arguably approaching the toughest fight of his career.

On April 15, 'Big Bang' will be welcomed into the ring by promising British boxing star Joe Joyce, an undefeated powerhouse who has taken the sport by storm in recent years.

Having Zhang's experience on board will be a huge help in cleaning up Alex Pereira's striking even more than it already is. The 35-year-old will be searching for a seventh knockout in his short career in mixed martial arts.

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Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya and other big fights at UFC 287

For the second time in MMA and the fourth time in sports as a whole, Alex Pereira will meet Israel Adesanya in combat as he looks to earn a victory and subsequent title defense on April 8.

In the co-headliner, Jorge Masvidal and Gilbert Burns battle it out for a potential title shot as the matchup has caught the attention of reigning welterweight champion Leon Edwards.

Promising Raul Rosas Jr. will make his second appearance in the octagon, a fight-of-the-year candidate between Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Curtis will take place, alongside a returning Rob Font taking on rising star Adrian Yanez.