UFC middleweight fighter, Alex Pereira believes he is better than champion Israel Adesanya despite suffering a devastating knockout loss at UFC 287.
Following his first defeat at the hands of Adesanya 3 weeks ago, the Braziian mixed martial artist announced that he is moving to the light heavyweight division of the UFC.
But he took to his Instagram page recently to declare that he is still the better fighter, giving explanation to back up his claim.
Pereira shared a video of himself and wrote; “We’re the best but I’m still the best. But the number speaks 3×1”
It was a reference to his three wins over Adesanya compared to the Nigerian-born fighter’s 1 victory over him.
Adesanya, who had an impressive 11-win streak in kickboxing, faced Alex Pereira for the first time at Glory of Heroes 1 in Shenzhen, China, on April 2, 2016. Pereira emerged victorious via unanimous decision. Adesanya had the opportunity to redeem himself in a rematch at Glory of Heroes 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 4, 2017.
However, ‘Poatan’ defeated Adesanya with a left hook knockout in the third round. The long-standing rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira was reignited in a professional MMA bout at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022, in New York. Unfortunately, Adesanya lost his middleweight title to Pereira in the fifth round via technical knockout.
However, Adesanya got his revenge when he faced Pereira again at UFC 287 on April 8, 2023. With a stunning knockout victory in the second round, ‘The Last Stylebender’ reclaimed his UFC middleweight championship title, marking a triumphant moment in his career.
