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After retaining his UFC middleweight title against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, Israel Adesanya is now left needing an opponent for his next bout in the organization. The Nigerian-New Zealander looks set to rematch an old foe in a fight that could create a lot of buzz.
Alex Pereira famously beat Adesanya twice during their kickboxing careers, with the UFC middleweight champion being knocked out by 'Poatan' in their second clash. Adesanya called out the Brazilian during his post-fight octagon interview at UFC 276, adding more hope for the potential bout.
Many years have passed since their last meeting, but the storyline will still likely sell well. It's also seemingly needed, with some fans believing the champion's previous bouts have been "boring" to watch.
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It was clear at the post-fight press conference that the main event between Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier failed to live up to the expectations of many fans and pundits.
However, Dana White promised that the champ's next bout will be much better should it come against Pereira.
"I absolutely positively guarantee you, that the next fight that Israel Adesanya fights will be absolutely bat-sh*t nuts!"
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: UFC record comparison
It's clear that Adesanya has a lot more high-level experience in MMA. 'The Last Stylebender' has only lost once in the UFC, which was against Jan Błachowicz at light heavyweight. With that, the Nigerian-New Zealander has an organizational record of 12 wins and just 1 loss.
Israel Adesanya has also fought some of the biggest names in the sport, including Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson and Paulo Costa in his relatively short UFC career, which started in 2018.
Alex Pereira, meanwhile, has only fought three times in the UFC, but the Brazilian has risen quickly given his past with the middleweight champion. 'Poatan' has won all of his bouts in the organization, beating Andreas Michailidis, Bruno Silva and Sean Strickland.
A bout between the two kickboxing specialists in the future seems likely, and it should be a much more thrilling affair than Adesanya's previous outings.
