Was Israel Adesanya rushed to accept Alex Pereira rematch? Daniel Cormier discusses
On April 8, UFC 287 will feature the latest chapter in the long-standing history between kickboxing rivals Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.
In a special announcement earlier this week, UFC president Dana White revealed the news. No location or venue has been disclosed for the April pay-per-view event, but it is anticipated that it will take place in New York, with the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden as prospective venues.
Alex Pereira halted Israel Adesanya's run as UFC middleweight champion at UFC 281 in November last year and extended his record against 'The Last Stylebender' to 3-0 (2 victories in kickboxing). Adesanya looked dominant for most of the bout before succumbing to Pereira's assault in the fifth round.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira came out of thin air after there were no reports or rumors suggesting that the rematch was being booked. Daniel Cormier addressed the forthcoming clash on his YouTube channel and questioned whether Jamahal Hill being crowned as the new light heavyweight champion had anything to do with the hasty decision. Pereira was also seen seemingly sizing up Hill following the American's victory over Glover Teixeira at UFC 283.
The way Alex Pereira sized him up...
One title defence at Middleweight this year and I believe he gets his revenge and puts the ‘Sweet Dreams’ truly into Jamahal Hill. https://t.co/TORqKC7Zqr
Cormier surmised that Adesanya may have felt pressured to make a prompt decision since Pereira is evaluating other options to become a two-division champion. Cormier stated:
"Is Izzy starting to feel as though all the prospects that were out there for Pereira [were] too much that made him say it [rematch] needs to be now? It essentially came out of nowhere that this rematch was happening... Chimaev was calling him [Pereira] out, Whittaker was calling him out, everybody was calling him out and there was no movement."
Cormier added:
"The moment Jamahal becomes the champion, it seems like that would be a matchup that Pereira would be glad to accept... Is that why this fight [Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira] happening now?"
Catch Cormier's comments below:
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: 'The Last Stylebender' opens as small betting favorite over UFC middleweight champion
Alex Pereira won the UFC middleweight championship by stopping Israel Adesanya in the final round of their UFC 281 title match. After falling behind on the scorecards, the Brazilian needed a finish, and with a motivating push from his corner, 'Poatan' stopped Adesanya with only three minutes remaining in the bout.
After successfully defending the middleweight title five times over the course of three years, Adesanya dropped it to Pereira, who had previously defeated him twice in kickboxing. Having defeated most of the top opponents in the 185-pound division, 'The Last Stylebender' found an equal in Pereira and will now have the chance to exact revenge.
Interestingly, despite being 3-0 against Adesanya, Pereira is a slight underdog according to matchmakers. The early line at BetOnline has Adesanya as the -145 favorite and Pereira as the +125 underdog.
#UFC287
Israel Adesanya is the 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 in his rematch with Alex Pereira ✌️
(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 #UFC287 https://t.co/njyKPoblnl