Israel Adesanya, a former middleweight champion, had a highly anticipated championship reign end at UFC 281 when Alex Pereira, a former kickboxing opponent, submitted him in the final round.While re-watching the fight video of his first UFC matchup against Pereira, Adesanya addressed what went wrong during the first fight as he prepared for the eagerly anticipated rematch against “Poatan” at UFC 287.
The Last Stylebender, who responded to the fight on his YouTube channel, claimed that he felt extremely limited in his mobility after taking a leg kick during the fight.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi appeared confident that the Brazilian’s kick caused him to become less slick than normal. He explained the sad incident by saying:
“They [the leg kicks] were just snappy ones, but I think the second one that landed properly, I stepped into it [and] I felt like the nerves got struck,” the participant said. I only felt the tremor, which was almost like a guitar chord. I was still in charge of the round and could perform my usual duties.
Added him:
“In round two, I’m controlling; at that point, my left leg began to drag a bit. I thought, what the f**k. It felt strange when I was attempting to place it, for example. I pushed against the fence a little bit more as a result, and he struck me slightly more. Although his limb was damaged, unlike mine, he actually interfered with the movement by hitting the nerve.
In the final round of UFC 281, most fans and analysts had Adesanya up 3-1. But during the round, Pereira repeatedly struck “The Last Stylebender,” knocking him out and causing his knees to buckle. As a result, the referee had to halt the fight.
Israel Adesanya speaks about his mindset for UFC 287
In his tenure in combat sports, Israel Adesanya has already suffered three defeats to Alex Pereira. Adesanya is eager to eventually raise his hands in victory against “Poatan” at UFC 287 because Pereira has been a hurdle in his otherwise successful career.
However, “The Last Stylebender” intends to treat his duel with Pereira as though it were his last opportunity to battle the forceful Brazilian. In a recent YouTube video on his channel, he discussed the forthcoming game and said:
“Like I said, one life, throw the dice. It’s almost poetic. Since it’s my last chance, I’ll give it everything I’ve got. in every way possible.”
