Israel Adesanya could be for Alex Pereira what Conor McGregor was for Jose Aldo, says GSP's coach Firas Zahabi
Georges St-Pierre's coach Firas Zahabi has suggested that Alex Pereira might not be the same again following his KO loss to Israel Adesanya.
'Poatan' faced his long-time rival Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 to defend his UFC middleweight championship for the first time. Coming into the fight with three wins over Adesanya, Pereira was certainly confident of getting the job done once again.
But that wasn't the case this time around as 'The Last Stylebender' emerged victorious with an emphatic KO victory in the second round. Speaking about the fight in a recently uploaded video, Firas Zahabi compared Pereira's loss to Jose Aldo's loss to Conor McGregor.
While suggesting that the loss could have a huge impact on Alex Pereira, Georges St-Pierre's coach said:
"I think that knockout, the way he fell, the way he was out, the way he got hit three times. That could be one of those career ending fights. He might win a few fights, lose a fights, he might never be the same. Once you get knocked out really badly like that for instance I will tell you, when Aldo got knocked out by McGregor, he was never the same again."
Watch the video below:
Jose Aldo was undefeated in MMA for over a decade before he entered the octagon against Conor McGregor in 2015. After being knocked out by McGregor in the first round, Aldo went on to become a shadow of the fighter he once was and lost 6 of his next 12 fights in the octagon before retiring from the sport.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: What did it mean for 'The Last Stylebender' to beat 'Poatan'?
Israel Adesanya was counted out by many going into the fight against Alex Pereira because of the previous fights between the two, however, Adesanya was keen to prove everyone wrong. He did exactly that by knocking out 'Poatan' in the second round of the fight.
While discussing his win over Pereira during an interview with the UFC's McKenzie Pavacich, Israel Adesanya said:
"It just shows, like I said right after the fight, the human spirit. The power of the human mind and the fighting spirit. Like I said at the press conference, I wanted to show my fighting spirit and I meant that in every sense of the word and I felt like I did just that tonight. Believe in yourself. No matter how many times you get knocked down, always get back up. Always get back up and fight for what you want."
Watch the video below: