Seven facts regarding Adesanya vs. Pereira as “The Last Stylebender” attempts to reclaim the throne.
Israel Adesanya, the ex-UFC middleweight titleholder, is scheduled to battle Alex Pereira from Brazil in a rematch at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida on Saturday night.
Adesanya previously fought Pereira at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 12, 2022. Ever since that defeat, the Nigerian-born UFC middleweight fighter has been determined to regain his title as the champion.
In this report, The PUNCH provides seven essential facts about the highly anticipated rematch between the two fighters tonight.
The fight is scheduled to begin at 8 pm, and Pereira and Adesanya are expected to touch gloves before the bout.
In their previous fight, Pereira was only able to secure a victory by knockout, as Adesanya had dominated the scorecards, leading 39-37 on all three at the end of the fourth round.
Despite the odds, Adesanya is determined to emerge victorious in the rematch and reverse his fortunes against Pereira, who has beaten him thrice before, including in their two kickboxing matches.
A victory for Pereira in this highly anticipated rematch would mark a significant milestone in his impressive ascent within the UFC, affirming his position in the middleweight division and potentially opening up opportunities for him to move up in weight class.
Adesanya, 33 years old, stands at 1.93 m and weighs 83 kg, while his opponent Pereira, 35 years old, is 193 cm tall and weighs 84 kg.
The two fighters have faced off twice before in Glory kickboxing, with Pereira emerging victorious on both occasions. The Brazilian defeated Adesanya by unanimous decision in Shenzhen, China,
in 2016, and by knockout in Sao Paulo a year later. Many experts predict that Pereira will come out on top again in their upcoming match on Saturday.