Published 03/23/2023, 2:02 PM EDT
With UFC 287 on the horizon, we will get the much-anticipated rematch between former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and the man who beat him for the title Alex Pereira. We were given an insight into The Reaper’s training regiment before the blockbuster main event against a man who has beaten him more than any opponent in his combat sports career.
Preparation For The Fight
In a recent video, we are given glimpses of Adesanya’s gruesome training regiment where the fighter is being pushed to his physical and mental limits to prepare for his toughest challenge yet. The Nigerian- Kiwi fighter trains at City Kickboxing in New Zealand where he trains with his brother and the rest of his team.
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His coaches are working tirelessly to get the best out of the Stylebender by trying to get him out of his comfort zone, including some unique underwater strength training.
His coach at City Kickboxing, Mike Angove had this to say about the upcoming rematch: “I don’t think it’s really any different other than from a coaching perspective and from a fighting perspective. We don’t take for granted that we’ve got the title there, we don’t. Alex Pereira won it and he won it well. He did what he’s done throughout his career which is come back from behind.
He continued, He’s come back from being hurt not just against Israel but if you look back at his kickboxing career that’s a pattern in his career. He is dangerous until after the final Bell…There is no room for error, there is no room for taking a skill set for granted, there’s no room for taking an energy system for.”
Angrove appears fully aware of the threat that the current middleweight champion possesses and his history of securing devastating victories at the last possible moment.
It is clear that the Stylebender will have to be at his absolute best if he has any chance to dethrone Pereira and overcome his greatest rival.
The History Between Adesanya and Pereira
Israel Adesanya is a difficult man to beat not just in the UFC but also in every form of martial arts. The Stylebender has a decorated career in kickboxing with a 75-5 record securing multiple knockouts while primarily competing for Glory Kickboxing. It was there that he met the biggest challenge of his competitive career, Alex Pereira.
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The two would face each other twice in Glory Kickboxing, with Pereira winning both fights decisively via majority decision and knockout, respectively. While Adesanya had the upper hand for glimpses in the second fight, it would ultimately end with The Reaper suffering the only knockout in his combat sports career.
Many thought the trilogy fight in the UFC would favor Adesanya considering his dominant showings as a middleweight champion. This wasn’t to be as Pereira won by TKO in the final round of the fight that the Style bender looked destined to win. Adesanya handled the loss with grace and requested a rematch shortly after and here we are.
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Do you think this is the fight where Adesanya finally beats Pereira? Or is Pereira too dangerous for the Stylebender to overcome? Leave your prediction for the fight in the comments below.
Watch this story: MMA News Roundup – Alex Pereira Warns Adesanya