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Israel Adesanya completed one of the greatest redemption stories in MMA history when he knocked out long-time foe, Alex 'Poatan' Pereira to recapture his middleweight title at UFC 287.
Since then, Adesanya and Pereira have both expressed a mutual respect for each other. In fact, in the immediate aftermath of UFC 287, Adesanya and Pereira met backstage in a wholesome exchange, and expressed respect and appreciation for each other and their rivalry.
Check out the clip here:
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In the clip, Adesanya can be seen remarking on how incredible Alex Pereira's leg kicking technique is, and even says he would like to learn how to do it the same way Pereira does.
Israel Adesanya doubled down on that when he appeared on the FLAGRANT podcast with Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh. Speaking on the podcast, Adesanya recapped the exchange. He said:
"I told him (Pereira)...you, with that leg kick, that's f**king dangerous. There's no tell. He doesn't like...when you leg kick, sometimes, you have to step. The quicker the step, the quicker the kick. Even a headkick. Quicker the step, quicker the kick. That's the general rule. But he doesn't even step. He's just there and boom...It's just like magic."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments here (42:54):
Israel Adesanya's next fight yet to be scheduled, Alex Pereira to face Jan Blachowicz at 205 lbs
Since the events of UFC 287, it looks like Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira won't be facing each other, at least in the near future. Adesanya has expressed interest in facing Dricus Du Plessis, provided the South African can get the job done against Robert Whittaker at UFC 290.
If Whittaker wins, however, a trilogy with him may be on the cards for Adesanya. Alex Pereira, on the other hand, will be making a move up to 205 lbs and taking on Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291. If Pereira can secure a win, he might be granted a title shot against champion Jamahal Hill and get revenge for his friend, teammate and mentor, Glover Teixeira.
To that end, Pereira was given some advice by none other than Israel Adesanya, who previously fell short against Blachowicz in an attempt to capture the 205 lb strap and become a double champion.
Check out what advice Adesanya had for Pereira on facing Blachowicz:
