5 reasons why another loss to Alex Pereira may be the end of the road for Israel Adesanya’s UFC career

Israel Adesanya's last appearance inside the UFC octagon was not a triumphant one. At UFC 281, he faced hated arch-nemesis Alex Pereira for the middleweight title. Despite a spirited effort, 'The Last Stylebender' came up short against the Brazilian power-puncher.

It was the third time he has lost to 'Poatan', with the first two defeats having taken place in a different sport: kickboxing. As with his first two losses to the newly crowned divisional kingpin, Adesanya is likely to contest the legitimacy of his rival's latest win over him.

The Nigerian-born striking specialist is adamant that he is a superior martial artist compared to his cold-blooded counterpart. Perhaps his final opportunity to prove his claims true will be at UFC 287 when he tries to recapture his throne from its recent usurper. A loss, however, could be far too damaging to come back from.

#5. Israel Adesanya would have a fourth loss to the same opponent

Matchups are usually at their most intriguing when they're between two fighters who have never clashed before. Unfortunately, in Israel Adesanya's case, his foe at UFC 287 is a man with whom he has shared the ring and cage three times now. Even more unfortunate is that 'The Last Stylebender' has lost all three encounters.

Israel Adesanya left to pick up the pieces after third loss to Alex Pereira, this time for UFC title.

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While the former champion did enough in all three losses to render every matchup fairly competitive, he always suffered defeat. If he loses to Alex Pereira for a fourth time, it will be next to impossible for the UFC to promote a fifth matchup between the two.

Hardly anyone will be invested in the rivalry by then. Thus, 'The Last Stylebender' is in a do-or-die position come UFC 287. He must win or be relegated to the same role that he relegated Robert Whittaker to.

#4. Israel Adesanya may never earn another title fight as long as Alex Pereira is the champion

The longer Alex Pereira spends without facing a strong grappler who will pose questions to his defensive grappling, the more time he has to improve without consequence. A rematch with Israel Adesanya will give him exactly this, especially considering that the Brazilian has Glover Teixeira in his corner.

“UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira will beat Israel Adesanya again if they rematch.” @MarvinVettori https://t.co/NIVCGXNMpK

If 'Poatan' emerges victorious and maintains a stranglehold on the divisional throne in his subsequent title defenses, it's difficult to see 'The Last Stylebender' earning another title fight. This was the same predicament that Robert Whittaker found himself in after suffering a second loss to Adesanya.

Thus, Adesanya's chances of becoming a champion again will hinge on how long Pereira can remain the champion. If he embarks on a long reign as the division's titleholder, then Adesanya will be out of luck. With no chance of becoming the champion again, what else is there to motivate him?

#3. Israel Adesanya won't do well in the light heavyweight division

The only other recourse for Israel Adesanya should he lose to Alex Pereira again may be to ply his trade at 205 lbs. While this may seem like a sensible decision, it's a path that 'The Last Stylebender' has already walked. At UFC 259, he challenged then light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz for the title.

Jan Blachowicz retains title, first to beat Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 trib.al/F590HdF https://t.co/WsQ0KRS3RZ

Many fans and analysts predicted it to be the Nigerian's crowning moment. Instead, Adesanya suffered his first MMA defeat in a very revealing bout. His skills didn't fail him against the Polish bruiser. The truth of the matter is that 'The Last Stylebender' was simply too small.

He was bullied and outwrestled by a man who carried far too much weight for him to contend with. Today, most 205'ers could easily fight at heavyweight if they decided they didn't want to cut weight any more. Adesanya, who cuts very little weight at 185 lbs, will be bullied once more if he makes the change to 205 lbs.

#2. Another loss will diminish his starpower

Back-to-back losses to the same fighter have a knack for damaging a mixed martial artist's starpower. Once a fighter has clearly proven to be worse compared to the reigning champion, who usurped them, it becomes nearly impossible to shake off the label of being the second best.

Daniel Cormier was frequently referred to as a paper champion during his run as a light heavyweight due to his losses to Jon Jones. It was only after 'DC' captured the heavyweight title that he carved a legacy that was completely separate from 'Bones'. Israel Adesanya doesn't have that fortune.

UFC: ADESANYA LOSES NO.1 SPOT IN 2023 RANKINGS

According to the most recent rankings for 2023, Alex Pereira has supplanted former UFC champion Israel Adesanya as the best middleweight.

At UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Brazilian opponent defeated https://t.co/buyYB8DPtt

The light heavyweight division is filled to the brim with fighters who outgun him in strength and size. So another loss to Alex Pereira will officially brand him as the second-best fighter at middleweight. This will bump him down to the status of a PPV co-main eventer or worse, a Fight Night main eventer.

His starpower will take a hit. While he may always remain a PPV attraction, not many people are eager to see the second-best fighter. Only the biggest stars are allowed to headline a PPV with no title. Too much of Adesanya's starpower hinges on how good he is for that to be a reality.

#1. Israel Adesanya doesn't need the money

Different incentives motivate different fighters. Some fighters are motivated by monetary gains. These include the likes of Jorge Masvidal, who frequently talks about being paid his self-perceived worth by the UFC. Other fighters are drawn to title pursuits and rewards that are based on improving their legacies.

Jake Paul reacted to Israel Adesanya’s new contract 📄 #UFC271 https://t.co/muThjmgxiU

Israel Adesanya is one of the highest-paid UFC fighters on the roster. He doesn't need the money, least of all when one considers that he comes from a fairly wealthy family. Instead, 'The Last Stylebender's' reason for fighting is his desire to cement himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

If he encounters a wall that he can't surmount, that could prove detrimental to his goal. He left the sport of kickboxing before capturing a world title. If he never comes close to another world title in the UFC, he'll be in no man's land in terms of his primary motivation since money was never his biggest interest.