"I was respectful" - Alex Pereira responds to Israel Adesanya's jab after light heavyweight callout
Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka faced off in a highly-anticipated light heavyweight title clash at UFC 295 this weekend.
The fight announcement had fans giddy with excitement at the idea of arguably the most electric strikers in the promotion going to war, and they were not disappointed on the night.
The fight was a competitive affair during the first round, with both fighters finding success. But Pereira landed a damaging sequence of punches and elbows in Round 2 that forced the referee to stop the fight, and was crowned the new champion.
During his octagon interview, Alex Pereira called out longtime rival Israel Adesanya to a duel at light heavyweight.
'The Last Stylebender' swiftly responded to the Brazilian's callout with a picture of 'Poatan' knocked out after their clash at UFC 287, telling him to "let it go".
Pereira was informed of Adesanya's response during his post-fight press conference, and said the following:
"Regarding what [Adesanya] said, I was respectful. I mean what I said. I'm giving him a chance, I don't think he's motivated. I think that's a fight that everyone would like to see. So I'm trying to boost him to come back."
Listen to Pereira's comments below from 13:45:
Alex Pereira's reference to Israel Adesanya's potential lack of motivation stems from the former middleweight champion's announcement that he would be stepping away from MMA for an extended period.
Adesanya was defeated by Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in shocking fashion, with 'Tarzan' dominating his opponent for five rounds en route to a unanimous decision win. A month after his defeat, the 34-year-old stated that fans wouldn't see him for a long while, and his return date is still unknown.
Alex Pereira makes history twice in one night at UFC 295
Alex Pereira took on Jiri Prochazka in the main event of UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden, New York, this weekend.
'Poatan' defeated Prochazka via second-round TKO to become the new light heavyweight champion, and simultaneously made history twice whilst doing so.
Pereira became the first fighter ever to headline MSG twice, following Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic being canceled — the original UFC 295 main event — due to 'Bones' suffering an injury.
The Brazilian's clash with 'Denisa' was initially the co-main event of the card, and was promoted to the headliner following Jones' injury. But Alex Pereira also made history this weekend by becoming the fastest UFC two-division champion in the promotion's history. He achieved the feat in seven UFC fights, a remarkable achievement.