Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya turned over a new leaf at UFC 312 in Sydney.
UFC superstars Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have a long history in and out of the cage. Over two fights in kickboxing, and two fights in MMA, Pereira and Adesanya are familiar with each other’s styles more than anyone they’ve faced in their careers.
While a third fight between them in the UFC is unlikely, Pereira and Adesanya remain two of the biggest names on the roster. Their careers will always be linked with their most recent fight ending in a wild knockout at UFC 287 to give Adesanya his first career win over Pereira.
Now competing in different weight classes, things between Adesanya and Pereira have cooled off, and the two have grown complimentary of each other in the media. Pereira credits Adesanya for being a significant reason for his UFC success.
Pereira and Adesanya both attended UFC 312 in Sydney this weekend and not only were in the same venue together but sat next to each other to the awe of fans. During their interactions throughout the fight night, Pereira and Adesanya communicated through Pereira’s coach Plinio Cruz, and one interesting moment stood out above the rest.
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Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have a meeting of the minds at UFC 312
As shared by Adesanya on his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Pereira invited Adesanya to train together and put their years-long beef firmly in the past.
“Let’s get together, let’s make this partnership happen,” Pereira said. “I have a lot to show you, and you have a lot to show me.”
Adesanya accepted the invite with a ‘Chama!’ proclamation before the two legends went their separate ways at UFC 312.
Pereira’s invitation comes just weeks after Adesanya trained with another former rival, Robert Whittaker, ahead of his UFC Saudi Arabia return earlier this month. Adesanya and Whittaker battled twice in their careers with Adesanya getting the upper hand in both matchups.
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Israel Adesanya could team up with Alex Pereira ahead of UFC 313
If Adesanya and Pereira get together in the coming weeks, it’ll come just days before Pereira is scheduled to return to the Octagon at UFC 313. The UFC light heavyweight champion will face Magomed Ankalaev, a surging contender who hasn’t dropped a fight since 2018.
After a knockout loss to Adesanya at UFC 287, Pereira opted to make the full-time move to light heavyweight, a decision that led to him becoming a global superstar. He became the fastest to earn multiple UFC titles when he finished Jiří Procházka at UFC 295.
If their interaction is an indication of what’s to come, Adesanya and Pereira could team up soon. After spending almost a full hour of fight time against each other in their combat sports careers, it appears their past feud is buried in each fighter’s lore.