"I thought Izzy had figured him out" - UFC heavyweight was shocked with Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira result
Israel Adesanya lost his first-ever middleweight fight against a familiar opponent from his past in Alex Pereira. The middleweight division gained a new champion at UFC 281 after Pereira knocked Adesanya out in the final round.
UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes reacted to the comeback win from 'Poatan' in an interview with Fanatics View. Blaydes spoke about the threat that Pereira posed due to his imposing physique compared to Adesanya. However, 'Razor' expected Adesanya to get the job done after having won three rounds in four:
"I did not expect that to happen. I knew it was a possibility 'cause the man's huge, he's huge, he's a big [guy]. I don't know how he makes the weight. But um, yeah, I was shocked that it happened. I thought, as the fight was going on, I thought, 'Izzy' had figured him out, he had figured out the range. Like, he was good. And then, he was good up until he wasn't, I guess."
Curtis Blaydes is expected to slot in for heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou against the returning Jon Jones if 'The Predator' cannot make it to their fight. The No.3-ranked contender Blaydes would be a stern test for the heavyweight debutant.
Watch Curtis Blaydes' full interview on Fanatics View's YouTube channel below:
Michael Bisping backs Israel Adesanya for immediate title rematch against Alex Pereira
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is in favor of an immediate title rematch between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.
Bisping explained his stance in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel and compared Adesanya to Khamzat Chimaev as Pereira's potential opponents. He praised Chimaev for performing well enough to warrant the big fights:
"I think Israel Adesanya more than deserves a rematch. He's been a great champion... But then it just shows how great Khamzat is though. The guy is sensational. Of course he [Chimaev] wants to go up and fight him [Pereira]... If he could get his hands on him and let's be honest, he could get his hands on him... he's got his hands on everyone. Look at what he did to Kevin Holland."
Bisping also mentioned Israel Adesanya's performance in the UFC 281 main event as enough to warrant a rematch. The former champion seemed comfortable as he negotiated Pereira's threat by maintaining his distance and picking his shots. It was only sheer will and resilience from 'Poatan' that turned the result his way.
Watch Michael Bisping's full video on his YouTube channel below: