5 reasons why Alex Pereira could be a bad matchup for Israel Adesanya
Alex Pereira is a newcomer to the division currently ruled by UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. In fact, with only six fights cited on his record, the Brazilian is a newcomer to MMA as a whole.
What he lacks in experience as a mixed martial artist, Pereira makes up for with his experience as a multi-time kickboxing world champion across multiple divisions.
He is a veteran of 40 fights, with two of his bouts being victories over Adesanya. His second win over the Nigerian was more decisive than the first, and it remains the only knockout loss in Adesanya's career as a professional combat sports athlete.
However, 'The Last Stylebender' has amassed 23 fights as a mixed martial artist. He is currently scheduled for his 24th bout against Jared Cannonier at the upcoming UFC 276 event.
Many regard him as one of the greatest strikers in MMA today. He appears to be primed for a long reign as the UFC middleweight champion, having bested many of the division's top contenders.
Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Kelvin Gastelum, Yoel Romero, and Marvin Vettori are among the list of his failed challengers. With Alex Pereira slated to take part in a title eliminator against Sean Strickland at UFC 276, there is much interest in a potential matchup between the Brazilian and his Nigerian rival, provided both men emerge victorious.
Should both men lock horns in a potential bout at some point in the future, Alex Pereira could prove himself to be a difficult matchup for 'The Last Stylebender'.
#5 Alex Pereira's low kicks
A curious observation of many of Adesanya's opponents is that they rarely, if ever, throw low kicks against him. Even the middleweight champion's midsection goes untouched for most of his bouts.
Instead, the more his foes miss punches when they target his head, the more they obsess over landing on Adesanya's chin.
By leaning away and causing his opponents to miss punches and kicks, he causes them to mistakenly believe that since their strikes are missing, the few that do land must land with fight-ending power.
Thus, his foes become hyperfixated on his head as they fall into the illusion that Adesanya is too elusive or too far away to be hit, yet his legs and midsection remain within range.
Alex Pereira, however, does not fall into such traps. Whenever the Brazilian faces opponents who do not come forward and engage with him in the pocket where his lead left hook is most useful, he punishes them from long range with hard low kicks.
Similarly, opponents who opt to remain elusive and circle away from him, when he applies pressure, and attempt to close the distance will inevitably eat powerful low kicks from him.
While 'The Last Stylebender' leans away from punches, his midsection is always the second body part to exit range and his legs are the last to do so. This exposes them to low kicks if his opponent throws a combination over the top to draw out the lean, only to punish his legs with low kicks.
If Adesanya chooses to sit on the outside, he will also be a recipient of Alex Pereira's low kicks. They will not only cause damage, but limit his mobility, making him more hittable.