“Israel is going to fight” – Michael Bisping believes a fearless Alex Pereira will force Israel Adesanya to come out of his defensive fighting style

“Israel is going to fight” – Michael Bisping believes a fearless Alex Pereira will force Israel Adesanya to come out of his defensive fighting style

Michael Bisping and Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya will take on Alex Pereira at UFC 281 and it will be the third title defense of the year. Adesanya who was previously known for his deadly striking has been getting a lot of hate since his last few fights. The reason being, Adesanya has adopted more of an defensive strategy while defending his belt.

While talking about the matter on his YouTube channel, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping explained why Izzy is taking a safer path. According to Bisping, as a champion, Izzy has a lot on his plate, and losing that belt will cost him a lot, mentally as well as financially. 

He said: “One of the negative things about Israel Adesanya that people do say is that lately, he hasn’t fought to win. He’s having more of a defensive style. Listen, you see this a lot with UFC champions because the stakes are so high, the pressure is immense…To lose, you don’t just lose the fight, you lose all of that that goes with it: the lifestyle, the stardom, the fame, the deals, the money. It really is life-changing. So there does come an element of pressure with that.”  

YouTube video

However, the ‘Count’ believes that this fight with Pereira will show a different side of Adesanya. Pereira being an offensive fighter, Bisping thinks that it will bring the top game out of Izzy. 

“But coming into this one, Israel is going to fight. Israel is going to fight, because Pereira, I don’t believe, will be scared of him. He’s going to go forward, because he went out there and he beat Izzy, in kickboxing, twice,” said Bisping. Indeed, most of Izzy’s opponents haven’t really pushed the fighter to a great extent. But with Pereira, fight fans might get a chance to see an amazing fight filled with great striking exchanges. 

Read More: WATCH: Israel Adesanya shares clips from an intense sparring session ahead of Alex Pereira fight at UFC 281

Israel Adesanya has a message for the fight fans before UFC 281

Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya at UFC 271

When Israel Adesanya came onto the scene and beat Robert Whittaker in his home to become the new champion, he got a lot of popularity. Izzy is an incredible striker and in the past has dropped down opponents with some lethal shots. 

But the criticism he has been getting from the fans makes sense as the fighter has won the last three of his bouts by decision. This prompted fans to make fun of him and call him cringy during press conferences. 

Also Read: “It gets worse” – Georges St-Pierre gets HONEST with Israel Adesanya over his reign as the middleweight champion

YouTube video

Recently, Izzy shared a training video on his official YouTube channel where the fighter can be seen training hard and thinking about the upcoming fight. In the video, Izzy said, “I’ll speak violence. Talk shit all you want but trust, you will soon find out and then when I’m gone. You’ll f**** regret it. You’ll appreciate me when I’m gone.“

Adesanya is a great champion and is one of the few ones who defend their titles frequently throughout the year. This keeps the division active and entertaining which many fight fans may be taking for granted. 

Also Read: “Knocked out by your father”- Israel Adesanya’s poor choice of words targetting Alex Pereira gets him ruthlessly mocked by fans