There was a time when former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya wanted nothing more than for Alex Pereira to lose. Now it’s the complete opposite.
The combat sports rivalry between Adesanya and Pereira dates back more than a decade and started in kickboxing, with Pereira going 2-0 against Adesanya, beating him in 2016 and 2017. Then it continued into MMA, specifically the UFC, as both men split a pair of fierce middleweight title fights, the second of which saw Adesanya finally conquer his biggest foe for the first time in four tries.
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Making a public appearance at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA in Thailand, Adesanya reflected on his mindset at the height of the rivalry and how his outlook on Pereira has changed with that chapter of his career well in the past.
“For me it was never really about him. It was always about me,” Adesanya said (H/T Red Corner MMA). “I knew technically I’m the only one to hurt this man multiple times. I knew I could always touch him. And I’m so proud of what he’s doing now – two-time light heavyweight champ now, he’s back on top, about to fight (Jon) Jones at the White House. I hope he never loses. I hope he retires undefeated.
“But it’s not about other people. It was about me. Because after he beat me in Madison Square Garden, people were like, ‘Oh, he’ll never want to fight him again. But I was like, ‘Yo, Dana, run that sh*t back. I need that.’ And I always knew I could do it.”
After Pereira stunningly knocked out Adesanya with punches in the fifth round of their UFC 281 headliner to claim the middleweight title in November 2022, Adesanya returned the favor and finally got a win over Pereira by knocking him out five months later at UFC 287 in April 2023.
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That was the last time Adesanya, 36, tasted victory as he currently finds himself on a three-fight skid with title-fight losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis, and most recently losing by TKO to Nassourdine Imavov last February in his only octagon appearance of 2025.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Israel Adesanya hopes old UFC rival ‘never loses’ another fight
