"He's the best kickboxer that wrestles" - Glover Teixeira believes Israel Adesanya might avoid fighting "workhorse" Alex Pereira
Speaking at a media event for UFC 275, Glover Teixeira expressed that he believed Israel Adesanya would avoid a potential fight with Alex Pereira. The UFC light heavyweight champion said:
"Adesanya fought him with kickboxing gloves. He know how hard he [Pereira] hit. And with MMA gloves! He's like, who knows. I don't know if he's going to take that fight that easy, you know. I think he's going to have a conversation with Dana White trying to get away from that fight."
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Alex Pereira says "scared" Israel Adesanya is "fooling his fan base" 😬
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Teixeira also had high praise for Pereira's work ethic. The UFC champion stated that his compatriot is a workhorse and the best kickboxer who can wrestle:
"Alex is a workhorse man... Perfect fit right? He's a striker... He's the best kickboxer that wrestles, you know what I mean... Very hard to take down, very strong and he's a workhorse. I believe that he's going to have a tough fight ahead of him. I believe he's going to win and he's going to win the title. I truly believe that."
Watch the full interview below:
Glover Teixeira is scheduled to fight No. 2-contender Jiri Prochazka at UFC 275 this weekend. Teixeira is the oldest first-time champion in the promotion's history.
'The Last Stylebender' is scheduled to fight Jared Cannonier at UFC 276. Alex Pereira will also face Sean Strickland on the same pay-per-view card.
Israel Adesanya's history with Alex Pereira
The current dominant UFC middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya has history with the up-and-coming contender Alex Pereira. Pereira holds two victories against Adesanya in kickboxing.
Before transitioning to mixed martial arts, both Adesanya and Pereira were professional kickboxers. The duo met in the kickboxing ring twice during their careers.
Israel Adesanya reacted to Alex Pereira's knockout at UFC 268 with the 'pay me' hand gesture 🤑
The champ added, "I hope [Pereira] does well. I hope he does well through the ranks. In the next four fights, I hope to see him.” (via @stylebender) https://t.co/eZrOtYwqMd
In the first meeting between the two at Glory of Heroes 1 in 2016 in China, Pereira clinched a comfortable unanimous decision victory against the UFC champion. The bout marked Israel Adesanya's third-ever loss in a kickboxing bout.
Adesanya once again lost to the Brazilian fighter in 2016 at Glory of Heroes 7, this time via knockout. It was a vicious left hook from Pereira that floored 'The Last Stylebender'.
Adesanya on his only knockout loss to Pereira:
Alex Pereira made his UFC debut in November 2021 and has since secured two wins in the promotion. A battle between the two former opponents in the octagon is highly sought after by UFC fans and pundits alike.