“Alone inside the octagon” – Alex Pereira warns Israel Adesanya not to rely on teammates’ energy for UFC 281 fight

“Alone inside the octagon” – Alex Pereira warns Israel Adesanya not to rely on teammates’ energy for UFC 281 fight

Alex Pereira (R) and Israel Adesanya (L) face-off after the pre-fight press conference

Alex Pereira is not easily intimidated. In fact, it is the Brazilian who intimidates a lot of middleweights with his imposing figure and terrifying punching power. However, one man who welcomes the challenge is his opponent on Saturday, UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

As the main event approaches, tensions between the two main eventers have reached a fever pitch. The champion showed up to the press conference with an “army” comprising his City Kickboxing Gym teammates. The crowd was raucous as a journalist asked Adesanya about his “army’. He said, “There’s a whole spirit, whole mana, you can’t f**k with it.”

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“Poatan” then retaliated against this sentiment, saying, “You’re gonna be alone inside that octagon without the team.” To this Adesanya told Pereira, “They can’t save you either.” Needless to say, Alex Pereira is apathetic to the crowd rallying behind Israel. He knows that when the door on the cage closes, the fighters will decide the ultimate outcome.

This press conference has for sure added to the hype of this matchup. With the headliners making big proclamations about their preparedness, the fight is on at UFC 281. And, as their grudge match inches closer, both fighters will be looking to forget the past as the UFC middleweight title hangs in balance.

Related: Not an attention seeker! Israel Adesanya will not bring his belt to the championship fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 281

Alex Pereira has not forgotten about the knockout he doled out to Israel Adesanya

Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira KO’d Izzy in their second meeting

It’s no secret that Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have fought before. The latter even claims that Pereira owes him the title shot, also raising questions about his opponent’s skills inside the octagon. While Alex might disagree, a lot of fans agree with that sentiment as he has only had 7 fights before receiving this title shot.

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Pereira and Adesanya’s previous bouts at Glory both went Alex’s way. He won the first by unanimous decision in a highly competitive match. Many people disagree with the ruling, including Adesanya himself. However, in the second fight, Alex quashed all complaints as he knocked out Adesanya with a vicious left hook.

With history in his favor, the Brazilian surely looks confident heading into the match. He made this clear when he cut a devastating promo on Adesanya saying, “In Brazil there is a saying, ‘He who’s beaten up, never forgets.’ I’m certain he hasn’t forgotten.”

With such a terrifying message, Adesanya will surely feel the pressure as he heads into the cage with Poatan. However, Adesanya also feels like he has greatly stepped up his game in this training camp. This fight is a must-watch for any combat sports fan.

Also Read: “We should be examples” – Alex Pereira comes to fellow Brazilian Charles Oliveira’s support following the brutal loss at UFC 281