Israel Adesanya exposed Alex Pereira's wrestling for Khamzat Chimaev or Bo Nickal to exploit, says Ben Askren

Ben Askren questioned Alex Pereira's chances against opponents like Khamzat Chimaev and Bo Nickal after getting out-wrestled by Israel Adesanya in the third round of their fight at UFC 281.

In an interview with The Schmo, 'Funky' was asked for his thoughts on Pereira becoming the new middleweight champion:

"He hits hard. I think 'Izzy' was relatively clearly winning the fight. That third-round left a lot of questions about Pereira. Can he fight Chimaev or Bo Nickal? Wow, if he can get kept down with wrist control, surely a wrestling guy can get on top, hold his wrist and punch him a whole bunch of times. That's what a lot of people are thinking."

Watch Ben Askren's full interview with The Schmo below:

'Poatan' was crowned king of the middleweight division after just four fights in the UFC, and the Brazilian already has potential future opponents ready to face him for his first title defense.

While it seems most likely that Israel Adesanya will get his immediate rematch against his old foe, Khamzat Chimaev has emerged as an exciting prospect for Pereira to fight.

The Chechen-born Swede called out 'Poatan' on social media and seemed intent on getting his middleweight title shot.

Responding to Chimaev, the Brazilian stated that he is more than prepared to face the challenge and that he'll fight "anybody." It remains to be seen who faces Pereira in his first title defense.

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Khamzat Chimaev aims to fight Alex Pereira and Colby Covington both in 2023

Khamzat Chimaev recently stated that he would like to face Alex Pereira at UFC 283 in Brazil and then fight Colby Covington later in March.

In an interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Chimaev was asked about his plans for next year and his potential opponents. He stated:

“I’m ready for Pereira, too, in Brazil, and directly after that March if Colby wanna fight, So I think I might fight for the title at 84 [kgs] and then go down to 77 [kgs] and fight Colby as well.”

Watch Khamzat Chimaev's full interview on ESPN MMA below:

With UFC president Dana White confirming the promotion plans to arrange a Chimaev vs. Covington fight, it does seem more likely that 'Borz' will face 'Chaos' next.

Chimaev himself even commented on his chances against Covington, stating he could "take him down, submit him and knock him out." Only time will tell how many of Chimaev's desired opponents end up facing him in the octagon.