Alex Pereira: Israel Adesanya is ‘mentally shook’ ahead of UFC 281 showdown

Pereira holds two kickboxing wins over Adesanya – including a knockout – and challenges the middleweight champion for UFC gold on Saturday

Alex Pereira has claimed that Israel Adesanya is ‘mentally shook’ ahead of the pair’s main event at UFC 281 this weekend.

Pereira will challenge Adesanya for the middleweight title in New York City on Saturday (12 November), entering Madison Square Garden with two wins over Adesanya from the fighters’ kickboxing days.

Pereira has since compiled a 6-1 mixed martial arts record, with five knockouts to his name, while Adesanya is 23-1 in MMA, his only loss having come while challenging for light heavyweight gold last year.

Speaking on The MMA Hour on Monday (7 November), Brazilian Pereira said: “He doesn’t want this fight. His team doesn’t want it. People close to him don’t want it, because they know the risk.

“Right after I got in the UFC, he said he would like to fight me maybe after four fights but ‘calm down’. He wanted [to fight me], but only after I did four fights. Why? He had in his mind I could lose to someone and he would say: ‘Is that the guy you want me to fight?’ I never believed that, but some people did. Others realise now he was bluffing.

“Right after it was announced that my next fight would be for the belt against him, he and his whole team said it was a bit unfair that I was fighting for the belt because I just got here, that Adesanya did so many fights and I should do the same.

“Man, I’m just hearing that and taking it as something positive for me. That shows me he pretended he wanted [to fight me], and when I got here, his whole team was against it. That shows all of them – he and his team – are mentally shook.”

Pereira, 35, last fought in July, knocking out Sean Strickland on the undercard of Adesanya’s title defence against Jared Cannonier, which the 33-year-old won on points.

Pereira and Adesanya met in the kickboxing ring in 2016 and 2017, with Pereira outpointing the Nigerian-born New Zealander in their first meeting and knocking him out in the rematch.