Israel Adesanya revisits Alex Pereira joke that aged like milk: “Don’t regret because I was right”
UFC superstar Israel Adesanya remembers his infamous comment on arch-rival Alex Pereira, which motivated 'Poatan' to join the UFC.
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Israel Adesanya doesn't regret making fun of Alex Pereira (via Imago)
Other than being the UFC light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira has become one of the most popular fighters. The Brazilian superstar has gained millions of fans due to his incredible fighting style and unique personality. However, Pereira’s real reason for joining UFC was linked with his arch-rival and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya and Pereira were rivals back in the Glory kickboxing days, where the Brazilian was dominant over ‘The Last Stylebender.’ In 2018, Izzy gave an interview where he joked about Pereira sitting in a bar while he achieves global success. However, in a recent video, Izzy revealed that he isn’t bothered by that comment.
I don’t regret it because I was right… I’m glad I did because it motivated him…Look what we’ve created. I created a monster.
Israel Adesanya via his YouTube channel
At that time, Adesanya was the UFC middleweight champion which pushed Pereira to chase him and take his revenge. ‘Poatan’ has agreed that he struggled with alcoholism in the past, and he decided to change his attitude towards training. Izzy also gave Pereira an early title shot in UFC which further fast-forwarded his journey to the top
Israel Adesanya says he doesn’t regret calling Alex Pereira “that guy in a bar”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 20, 2025
“I don’t regret it because I was right… I’m glad I did because it motivated him.
Look what we’ve created. I created a monster.”
🎥 @stylebender #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/q0YCPTLcRO
Without Adesanya, Pereira’s MMA career might not have happened. ‘The Last Stylebender’ was the perfect rival, giving Pereira a reason to transition, train harder, and achieve greatness in two weight classes. It’s one of the greatest rivalries in combat sports, but in many ways, Adesanya was the fire that kept Pereira going.
How Alex Pereira changed Israel Adesanya’s career course in the UFC
Alex Pereira made his UFC debut at UFC 268 with a flying knee KO, entering Israel Adesanya’s division and reigniting their rivalry. At UFC 281, Pereira defeated Adesanya via fifth-round TKO, becoming the UFC middleweight champion and extending his dominance over him. However, at UFC 287, Izzy knocked Pereira out in the second round, reclaiming the title and evening their UFC record.
Following this, Pereira moved up to light heavyweight, and won the UFC gold again, while Israel Adesanya struggled being at the top. Other than the African-born fighter, nobody was able to hang with the Brazilian and his brute power. In a podcast, UFC veteran Joe Rogan shared details about Pereira’s signature left hook.
He’s got that long frame. There’s all this torque and he just torques his whole body and whips across. It sounds like a baseball bat hitting a watermelon.
Joe Rogan via JRE MMA Show #155
Last year, Pereira knocked out three light heavyweight title contenders in devastating fashion. His fighting style and activity as a champion is unmatched, leaving fans wanting more. Currently, the champ is scheduled to defend his title at UFC 313 and the hype around it is massive.
Related: Alex Pereira Fight Record: How many defeats does “Poatan” have in his career?
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Ameetosh Dash
(1029 Articles Published)