Was Israel Adesanya a successful kickboxer? Comparing Stylebender’s resume with Alex Pereira’s 

Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira's long rivalry began back in their days as professional kickboxers. The pair went head-to-head twice, and the Brazilian was the victor on both occasions.

As kickboxers, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira both enjoyed success. The pair fought for middleweight title gold in Glory, however 'Izzy' lost his world title fight, whereas 'Poatan' won the belt and successfully defended it on five occasions.

Throughout their careers at Glory, the Nigerian-New Zealander and the Brazilian fought opponents such as Jason Wilnis, Yousri Belgaroui, and Simon Marcus. Of the three, the most notable name is Wilnis, who remains the only fighter to hold a victory over both Adesanya and Pereira.

Adesanya would eventually walk away from Kickboxing (75-5) in 2017, signing for the UFC and making his debut in 2018. His last fight was the second bout with Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7, where he was brutally KO'd by the Brazilian despite being up on the scorecards.

Alex Pereira (33-7) continued his career in kickboxing until 2021. Pereira went on to win the Glory middleweight title as well as the light heavyweight title. The 35-year-old remains the only fighter to have held simulatenous titles in the organization.

Chael Sonnen reacts to Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira 2

Earlier this month, the UFC announced that Israel Adesanya would be returning to the octagon to try and exact revenge on Alex Periera. The pair are set to headline UFC 287 in April and will face each other once again for the middleweight title.

Reacting to the fight news was Chael Sonnen, who discussed the bout and the middleweight division on his YouTube channel. 'The American Gangster' has questioned who the fight benefits, as 'Poatan' already holds multiple victories over 'The Last Stylebender'.

Sonnen admitted that he was worried for the 185lb division, as a victory for Israel Adesanya would only open the door for a fifth fight between the pair and hold up the weightclass further:

"Why are we here and what are we doing it for? The world championship? Okay, got it. Are we really gonna prove who's the best with this fight though?... I watched Adesanya prove he was the better fighter not once, twice, but three times."

He added:

"There is no scenario where Pereira stays at 185 [pounds] or wants to... He's just gonna leave the weight class, so why are these guys fighting? If Adesanya beats Pereira, and Pereira says, 'Hey that's rubbish let's do it again.' Don't we have to out of respect?"

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