"He's not going to shy away"- Israel Adesanya talks about why he's looking forward to fight Alex Pereira
Israel Adesanya is set to defend his middleweight title for the sixth time at UFC 281, as he faces former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira. Adesanya shared that he is looking forward to the upcoming fight.
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During the pre-fight press conference for UFC 281, Adesanya stated:
"I've accepted he's not like the other guys who I've fought recently. Once he feels me, he's not going to try to shy away. That's why I give a shout out to Brad Tavares 'cause until the fifth round, he was still going. I believe he's not going to shy away, he's going to come here and try to fight, which you know is what I like. I like a guy who likes to fight 'cause I love to fight."
Fans have been critical of Adesanya's last three performances, labeling the fights as boring. Adesanya dominated each fight, winning all three via unanimous decision. He is aware that he will face more pressure and output from his UFC 281 opponent.
The two middleweights have previously faced off twice in the sport of kickboxing. Pereira won both fights, including handing Adesanya the only knockout loss of his combat sports career. The No.2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter enters UFC 281 determined for revenge.
Watch Israel Adesanya's comments on why he is looking forward to facing Alex Pereira below (starting at the 12:20 mark):
Israel Adesanya shares his thoughts on being the betting favorite at UFC 281
Israel Adesanya enters UFC 281 as the betting favorite, despite his previous kickboxing losses to Alex Pereira. The middleweight champion shared that he believes his opponent should be the favorite, presumably due to their previous history.
UFC 281 Betting Preview β¬οΈ
Adesanya is a -185 favorite vs Pereira (+150) in the main event.
These two have already fought twice previously, in the kickboxing ring. Pereira is 2-0.
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Speaking at UFC 281 media day, Adesanya stated:
"I saw it last night, I was like, why am I the favorite in this on the betting odds? I never check them, but I just happened to see something on Instagram and I was like, how the f**k am I the favorite? I feel like we should change that or something. How can you change that? Fake an injury? I think people should bet on him on this fight. See what happens."
Despite his comments, it should come as no surprise that Adesanya is the betting favorite. Not only will he enter UFC 281 as the middleweight champion, but he has also defended the belt five times. While Pereira may have bragging rights due to their past, Adesanya has a significant advantage in experience.
Watch Israel Adesanya's comments on being the UFC 281 betting favorite below (starting at the 3:35 mark):