"You were f***ing slept" - Watch Israel Adesanya's real-time reaction to Alex Pereira's post-title win call-out at UFC 295
After winning the light heavyweight title at UFC 295, Alex Pereira took aim at former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
At the iconic Madison Square Garden, 'Poatan' became the ninth two-division champion in UFC history when he knocked out Jiri Prochazka in the second round to lay claim to the 205-pound championship.
While there is no shortage of contenders in the light heavyweight division, the Brazilian is hunting retribution in his next fight. During his post-fight interview, he called out his arch nemesis, Israel Adesanya.
'The Last Stylebender' and Pereria have a long history. When the duo squared off in kickboxing before their UFC careers, it was 'Poatan' who came out on top on both occasions they fought.
Then, when the Brazilian made his switch to the UFC, he again trumped Adesanya, knocking him out in the last round at UFC 281, capturing the middleweight title in the process.
Pereira's title reign, however, was short-lived. In the rematch at UFC 287, Adesanya exacted his long-awaited revenge, knocking out 'Poatan' in the second round.
However, since then, the Nigerian-born Kiwi has lost his title to Sean Strickland and is currently taking a hiatus from the sport. So despite the Brazilian's callout out, the 34-year-old doesn't seem keen on facing his former foe any time soon, but that didn't stop him from having a bit of fun at Pereira's expense.
'The Last Stylebender' burst out laughing at 'Poatan's' callout out. Reacting in real-time to the post-fight interview, the former middleweight champion said:
"I mean it's all good. What is it like, come to daddy? Last time I checked, you were f*****g slept."
Catch the full FREESTYLEBENDER segment below:
Joe Rogan speculates an Israel Adesanya comeback
Not too long ago, Israel Adesanya seemed unbeatable. However, since then, his impregnable aura has been shattered after conceding two losses in his last three fights.
After his most recent loss at UFC 293 against Sean Strickland, 'The Last Stylebender' opted to take a break from MMA. The hiatus might even last till 2027, according to Adesanya.
Despite the former champion's bold proclamations, Joe Rogan believes the callout from Alex Pereira might re-energize him to make a fast comeback to the octagon. During the UFC 295 broadcast, the longtime commentator said:
"Izzy has already said that he's going to take a lot of time off. I mean he has been saying 2027, which is kind of crazy. But you know Izzy, he might be shadow-boxing right now thinking about this [call out]."
Catch Joe Rogan's comments below (1:30):