"Appreciate greatness while they here" - "Grateful" Israel Adesanya catches up with comedian Chris Rock following his show at Spark Arena in Auckland

Israel Adesanya (left), Chris Rock (right) [Images courtesy: @stylebender and @chrisrock via Instagram]

Israel Adesanya recently caught up with comedian Chris Rock after his show at the Spark Arena in Auckland.

The Grammy and Emmy Award-winning comedian was in Adesanya's hometown of Auckland, New Zealand for the Ego Death World Tour 2022. 'The Last Stylebender' posed with Rock following the event and shared pictures on his Instagram Stories, expressing his gratitude towards the actor and stand-up comedian. The UFC middleweight champion captioned the photos:

"Appreciate greatness while they here."

"I'm grateful!!"

Check out the pictures Adesanya shared on his Instagram Stories below:

Israel Adesanya with Chris Rock in New Zealand

Adesanya with Chris Rock in Auckland, New Zealand

Israel Adesanya set for vengeance against Alex Pereira at UFC 281

Israel Adesanya has run through most of the middleweight division since dethroning Robert Whittaker in late 2019 to capture the 185-pound gold. The middleweight king recently defended his title for a fifth time when he scored a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.

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While Adesanya received widespread criticism for his lukewarm performance against Cannonier, his next fight promises to be an all-out brawl. The champion looks set to exact revenge against former Glory Kickboxing foe Alex Pereira in his next title defense at UFC 281 on November 12.

Taking to social media, Adesanya vowed to either finish his rival or get finished. the Nigerian-born Kiwi stated:

"#UFC281 “Vengeance is mine says the lord.” Brooooo I said the same thing too!! This ends here. Kill or be killed."

📖😈 #UFC281
“Vengeance is mine says the lord.”
Brooooo I said the same thing too!!
This ends here. Kill or be killed ⚔️ https://t.co/apLQsg2ifJ

What makes this upcoming matchup truly exciting is that Alex Pereira already holds a pair of wins over 'The Last Stylebender' in the kickboxing ring. The two first fought in April 2016, where 'Poatan' outpointed Adesanya for a victory. They faced off in a rematch in March 2017, where the Brazilian scored a stunning knockout win over the reigning UFC middleweight champion.

Pereira is the only man to have ever knocked out Adesanya in his professional combat sports career. That said, their third meeting will be in a space where 'The Last Stylebender' is more comfortable than the Brazilian – the UFC octagon.