The next UFC middleweight title challenger feels quite confident ahead of his match against Israel Adesanya. Having defeated the ‘Last Stylebender’ twice before in kickboxing, former Glory double champion Alex Pereira believes he has his opponent’s game down for the upcoming encounter.
In a conversation with YouTube channel MMA Hoje, ‘Poatan’ explained why he feels so confident ahead of the their third fight. Although he has only signed with the UFC a year ago, Pereira explains he has been following Adesanya’s career closely for the past three years and feels prepared for the challenge.
“It’s going to be a year since I signed with the UFC. Two years before signing, I already wanted to join the promotion. I won’t say I’ve been studying him per se, but I’ve been watching him, his behavior. The way he moves, the way he fights. For him, fighting me now is something new. It’s not news to me, though. I’ve been waiting for it for three years, because I knew I’d fight him. He didn’t know, but I did.”
Currently on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, Pereira (6-1) defeated Sean Strickland, Bruno Silva and Andreas Michailidis in his three Octagon outings. The 35-year-old’s sole MMA loss took place in October 2015, when he got submitted by Quemuel Ottoni.
Now, Pereira is expected to take on Adesanya for the middleweight title at UFC 281’s main event, on November 12. The card is scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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