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Eugene Bareman, City Kickboxing founder and coach of Israel Adesanya, believes the UFC are pushing Alex Pereira to fight for the middleweight title next based on history, not because he's earned it.
On two occasions, Pereira faced and defeated Adesanya, winning the first bout via unanimous decision and the second by KO, the only KO loss of 'Izzy's entire fighting career so far.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Eugene Bareman admitted that the only reason Alex Pereira is being pushed for the title is because the UFC can market it as a story. Bareman also believes that the UFC needs to push the fight now before Pereira's weaknesses are exposed in the octagon:
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"They've seen a story there and they'll push this guy [Alex Pereira] to a position that he doesn't deserve. It's ridiculous that he's been put in the position to go for the title, off the back of two wins over Israel [Adesanya] in a completely different sport after beating just Sean Strickland... I also understand how the UFC machine works... They need to get Pereira to Israel as fast as they can as he has vulnerabilites. If they wait too long, those vulnerabilities will get exposed."
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'Poatan' made his UFC debut in 2021. The Brazilian has won all three of his fights so far, finishing two of his opponents. Pereira received a Performance of the Night bonus in both stoppage victories. His win over the No.4-ranked Sean Strickland at UFC 276 has all but guaranteed the Brazilian a top-five rank and the next shot at the middleweight title.
Israel Adesanya has previously expressed interest in facing his former rival in the octagon.
Catch Eugene Bareman's comments here:
Hollywood Actor Christ Pratt upset with Israel Adesanya's performance at UFC 276
Alex Pereira's stunning KO on Sean Strickland meant all eyes turned to the middleweight champion for UFC 276's main event.
Fans were hoping to see a similar response from Israel Adesanya, who had promised a performance to match that of Alex Pereira's. All seemed to be going to plan when 'The Last Stylebender' produced one of the most iconic octagon walks in UFC history by dressing as WWE legend The Undertaker, accompanied by his entrance theme.
The 32-year-old successfully defended his middleweight title for a fifth time. He opted for a no-nonsense clinical performance, rather than the stunning KO that his entrance almost demanded.
Hollywood star and MMA fan Chris Pratt, who is often pictured cageside at major PPV events, spoke on ESPN's post-fight panel, expressing his disappointment at the main event:
"I'm not a fan, man. I'm not a fan of coming out like all that talk and then just putting on a little bit of a pitter-patter. Like, come on, man. You've got to cash on that. You got to cash on that promise, you know? Being so bada**."
Watch Chris Pratt on the ESPN Panel here:
