Alex Pereira has been rushed to the title shot - Dan Hooker says 'Poatan' will never get another crack at 185lbs belt if he loses to Israel Adesanya

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker believes Alex Pereira's fight Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title at UFC 281 will be his only opportunity at the belt.

'The Last Stylebender' is undefeated at middleweight and has been largely untested since unifying the title in 2019. The 33-year-old has successfully defended his belt five times but has rarely looked to be in any real danger.

Pereira made his UFC debut in 2021 and has won all three of his fights so far. The 35-year-old's last victory was a stunning first-round KO victory over Sean Strickland. The KO earned 'Poatan' a Performance of the Night bonus and, coupled with his kickboxing victories over Adesanya, was deemed good enough for a shot at the title.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Dan Hooker stated that Pereira being rushed to the title means it will likely be his only opportunity at UFC gold. 'The Hangman' added that he can't see the Brazilian building up another winstreak to try and run it back with Israel Adesanya if he loses:

"This is one shot, whereas the other guys, they might start losing. They might think they can come back and have another crack. Alex [Pereira] has been rushed to the title shot obviously. Another crack is not really there. If he rides out a five-round fight and loses...He's not going to be able to work himself back into a title shot."

Catch the full interview with Submission Radio here:

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Israel Adesanya dismisses claims that Alex Pereira's size will play a factor in their fight

Israel Adesanya has diminished claims that Alex Pereira's stature is going to be too much for him in their UFC 281 title bout. The Brazilian measures in at 193cm, the same height as 'Izzy', but walks around and steps into the cage much bigger than the champ.

Adesanya and Pereira have fought twice previously as professional kickboxers. The Brazilian defeated the New Zealander on both occasions, including a KO victory. The finish remains the only time 'The Last Stylebender' has been stopped in his combat sports career.

In an interview with The Allstar, Adesanya denied that Pereira's size advantage will play any factor in their fight, despite losing to him previously:

"I can go f***ing 45 minutes. If this fight has to go, each round, until someone falls, trust me, I know who's gonna be left standing... I honestly think within the first five minutes, within the first round, give him three minutes with the pace, I think it's gonna be a high pace... In the first round, you're gonna see him start to fold. He won't be able to keep the high pace."

Catch Israel Adesanya's interview here: