"I evolved a lot" - Alex Pereira says while Israel Adesanya was busy focusing on MMA, he improved his kickboxing
Alex Pereira believes that while Israel Adesanya was busy focusing on developing his MMA skills, 'Poatan' was sharpening his kickboxing tools.
Interestingly, Adesanya's last fight in the kickboxing ring was a rematch with Alex Pereira at Glory of Heroes 7, where he suffered a devastating third-round knockout against 'Poatan'.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi then chose to fully dedicate himself to the sport of MMA. 'The Last Stylebender' remains one of the best martial artists to transition into MMA from kickboxing as he has proved throughout his spectacular rise in the UFC.
Speaking to Helen Yee about his UFC 281 fight against the UFC middleweight champion, Pereira stated that his striking abilities have matured immensely while also mentioning another important point:
"Well, I think he [Israel Adesanya] got better. He evolved a lot in MMA. But, I evolved a lot in the MMA game too. Not only that, while he was focusing on the MMA game, I improved a lot in my kickboxing." [Via translator]
Watch Pereira's full interview with Helen Yee Sports below:
Alex Pereira, a former Glory middleweight and light heavyweight champion, remains the only fighter who has knocked out Israel Adesanya in his multi-sport career.
Alex Pereira is prepared to go to the ground against Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira will lock horns in the main event of UFC 281 in the latest chapter of their rivalry that crosses over from kickboxing to MMA. The exciting clash between the two rivals, with one seeking retribution for his losses while the other seeks glory, is sure to produce fireworks.
The UFC capitalized on the history between the two to build up Alex Pereira as the next challenger for The Last Stylebender'. Israel Adesanya called out 'Poatan' immediately after the fifth defense of his middleweight championship against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi has claimed on several occasions that he can easily take down his opponents since they will not be expecting it in the first place. MMA analysts have also long been pondering how the fight between the two combatants would play out if it went to the ground.
During the same interview with Helen Yee, Pereira stated that he is confident in his grappling skills:
"I've been [improving] my game. I've been training with Glover [Teixeira] for two years and he's constantly giving me props for my ground game. I've been feeling more confident. So I'm feeling good about it."