Israel Adesanya wants bloodbath against Alex Pereira, says he is next in line for title shot
Although he was incredibly gracious in defeat, Israel Adesanya is planning on delivering a 'bloodbath' in his rumored redemption fight against Alex Pereira.
'Poatan' has had the Nigerian's number each time they have met in combat sports, despite 'The Last Stylebender' arguably being the more skilled competitor. The newly crowned UFC middleweight champion has looked almost flawless in his four octagon appearances thus far and continues to showcase his destructive power.
While discussing a potential MMA rematch against Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya detailed how he expects the fight to play out. He insisted none of the previous bouts will matter when he finishes the Brazilian next time around:
"I'm excited for this chapter and I like the way the story goes. I made him bloody, I made him bleed. To make him bleed, you can kill him. But this one, I wanna make it a bloodbath, like I get up and it's just red from elbows and just beating him lumpy... This time if I just beat him from bell to bell, 30-minute a** whooping, finish him somewhere in between, all those three [past fights] don't matter. He who has the last laugh laughs best."
Alex Periera successfully shocked the world with a fifth-round finish of his long-term rival in the UFC 280 headliner. But despite finishing his opponent, 'Poatan' will be forced to grant Adesanya an immediate rematch.
Although there is no official date for the middleweight clash, it is likely that the blockbuster event will unfold sometime next year in what could arguably be one of the biggest rematches in the history of the sport.
Check out what Israel Adesanya had to say about a second Alex Pereira bout in the video below (17:16 mark).
Israel Adesanya's title chase performances
Despite being labeled a "boring" fighter by a handful of MMA supporters, Israel Adesanya was once considered one of the most entertaining athletes to compete in the sport.
Prior to capturing the middleweight title, 'The Last Stylebender' was on a tear throughout his division, putting on classic performances against some tough competition. The bouts with Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221 and Derek Brunson at UFC 230, coupled with an all-time display against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236, were arguably his best displays in the cage.
He now has a chance to recapture the fans who crave entertaining displays. Adesanya will likely challenge for the middleweight throne against Alex Pereira likely sometime in 2023.