It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have one of the most iconic and popular rivalries in mixed martial arts history. They first crossed paths in GLORY as kickboxers and then fought twice in the UFC.
Although "Poatan" has three wins over "Izzy" including MMA and kickboxing, the latter often brags about getting the last laugh. In April 2023, Adesanya knocked out Pereira at UFC 287 to reclaim his UFC middleweight championship.
Since then, the Brazilian has become the light heavyweight champion with two title defenses to his name. He is also expected to move up to heavyweight in the near future. Adesanya, on the other end, lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland via decision and is gearing up for his return against current champ Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.
Alex Pereira Sends His Support To Misunderstood Israel Adesanya
Pereira was recently asked about Adesanya picking him to lose against Jamahal Hill and Jiří Procházka in an interview uploaded on his official YouTube channel. The UFC light heavyweight champion claimed to be unbothered and reiterated that he's still backing his rival to win against DDP.
They asked me about Adesanya and Du Plessis, I said I don't see Adesanya losing. Just because he said that about me doesn't mean I'll say it back.
"Poatan" went on to appreciate Adesanya as a person and vowed to keep cheering for "The Last Stylebender" even if he doesn't reciprocate in kind.
Pereira also suggested the former UFC middleweight champion should continue fighting, referring to Adesanya's vague claim that he would fight again in 2027 after the Strickland loss.
i'm here, supporting him, I already fought him, not going to say he should lose. I'm not mad at him, no grudges. Like I said if one day it's possible to train with him.
At 34, Izzy can certainly bounce back from losses like before and go on a new title run at middleweight. From the looks of it, his long-time opponent will be happy to see such a scenario.
[People Claim] He's this, he's bad" and what not. The people who truly know him that I had contact with, talk good about him. [Adesanya] Has a good heart, a lot of the times it's just marketing. I believe that, I can see he is a good person.
"so that's why I'm here, cheering for him. If he doesn't cheer for me, that's not my problem. But I'm here, cheering for him.
Despite the animosity in the past, it won't be a surprise if the two kickboxing greats end up training together soon.