Alex Pereira's son details getting into the ring after 'Poatan' knocked Israel Adesanya out in their second fight
Israel Adesanya is set to fight arch-nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 281 this weekend. Pereira has beaten Adesanya twice in the sport of kickboxing and is the only fighter to have KO'd him thus far. Heading into their third encounter, which will be an MMA bout, Pereira and his sons revisited his rematch against 'Izzy.'
Alex Pereira bested Israel Adesanya via unanimous decision at Glory of Heroes 1 in Shenzhen, China, in 2016. Pereira also beat 'The Last Stylebender' in their rematch at Glory of Heroes 7 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2017.
In episode 2 of the UFC 281 Embedded: Vlog Series, Alex Pereira was featured in a vehicle alongside his sons Lohan Vidal Silva and Alessandro Vidal Silva.
Don’t forget Alex Pereira is the only person to ever KO Israel Adesanya 😤
https://t.co/jYCuPl83Vv
Lohan noted that they're going to watch their father "beat another guy." Alessandro responded by asserting that they're going to watch their father defeat "the same guy for the third time."
Alessandro had previously gone viral for mimicking Adesanya in the ring after the latter's KO loss. 'Izzy,' for his part, confirmed the same and even jested about it.
Watch the viral video featuring Alessandro below:
Alex Pereira revisited the incident by playing a clip from his KO win over Israel Adesanya in their second fight. He indicated that Alessandro later got into the ring and mocked Adesanya's fall. 'Poatan' stated:
"This was my fight against Adesanya in Sao Paulo when I knocked him out. Alessandro got into the ring. I did not understand then."
Alessandro recalled the incident and explained:
"I got into the ring with a bottle, and I was mimicking what my father did to that guy. I hit the plastic bottle on my head and fell on the ground."
Watch Pereira and his sons discuss the topic at 2:00 in the video below:
Israel Adesanya on why his striking style is better suited for MMA than kickboxing
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will defend his title against Alex Pereira in a highly-anticipated MMA bout at UFC 281 on November 12th. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Adesanya addressed his upcoming fight and opined that his striking style is better suited for MMA than kickboxing.
The fight we wanted! 💯
The fight we're getting! 🔥
Madison Square Garden, NYC! 🗽
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira for the UFC Middleweight Championship! 🏆
#UFC281 https://t.co/6zP2Ar8fKu
A former kickboxer, Israel Adesanya clarified that he respects kickboxing and other fighting forms but disapproves of the kickboxing modus operandi of fighting aggression with aggression. 'Izzy' further insinuated that he prefers the smaller MMA gloves, rather than bigger kickboxing ones, for the freeness of attack. Adesanya said:
"It [fighting aggression with aggression] is not always the best way to fight. I'm too calculated and smart for that. I always felt my style of striking was better suited for MMA."
Watch Adesanya's assessment at 2:20 in the video below: