Israel Adesanya has explained that his feud with Alex Pereira was more of a competitive one than anything personal.
Legendary middleweight champion Adesanya was famously knocked out twice in two different sports by Pereira to go 0-3 in their series. But when they met for a fourth time at UFC 287 in Miami, the New Zealander finally scored a knockout victory to put an end to their rivalry.
The Brazilian has now moved up to light-heavyweight where he has become two-time champion, most recently reclaiming the belt from Magomed Ankalaev. Meanwhile, after a string of defeats Adesanya may be heading towards the end of his career.
Who is Israel Adesanya? Step inside the career of the ‘Last Stylebender’
Israel Adesanya declares Alex Pereira feud over as he wishes rival ‘never loses’
During a recent Q&A at Bangtao Muay Thai and MMA, Israel Adesanya opened up about how his feud with Alex Pereira was never personal. Instead, it was about proving to himself that he could finally beat his greatest rival.
And he now wishes the best for the Brazilian, noting that he never wants to see his rival lose again. “For me it was never really about him,” Adesanya said of Pereira. “It was always about me. I knew technically I’m the only one to hurt this man multiple times. I knew I could always touch him.
Who should Alex Pereira fight next?
Should he defend the light-heavyweight title, or do you want to see him make an historic move up to heavyweight?
Alex Pereira said that he wants to fight against Jon Jones or the heavyweight title at the White House:"I mentioned the White House against Jon Jones, and I've also even spoke about a fight at heavyweight for a third belt."VIA | @omelete pic.twitter.com/FGBu5YAQm3— FEDZ_MMA (@Fedzmma) December 8, 2025
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2025-12-26 17:00:00
