Israel Adesanya on Alex Pereira rematch at UFC 287: I don't keep score, I settle it
- Doug Mattushek
- 6 April 2023
Israel Adesanya was at his lyrical best ahead of his highly anticipated rematch against UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira this weekend.
With perennial champion Adesyanya beginning to lap the divsion, the Brazilian earned his title shot off the back of two brutal knockouts. In addition, with Pereira having beaten Adesanya twice before in kickboxing, a tangible storyline emerged of a giant killer.
Sure enough, Pereira snatched the belt away from Adesanya following a contentious stoppage at UFC 281 in November. Now, the Nigerian-born fighter is hoping for a redemption story at UFC 287 in Miami this Saturday.
But for someone who says who's not counting the score, Adesanya hasn't forgotten where he stands in the head-to-head contest with the dangerous Pereira…
"The history of matches between Alex...even in the way that, in his head, he's the protagonist," he told the media scrum.
"In my view, I'm player one. I'm the protagonist, he's the antagonist. I'm just doing so much better in life. He kept on trying to chance what he already had.
He got to this point and I made it easy for him to get to the title. I didn't make it easy for him to get the title, but to get to the title because he already had that win over me in kickboxing. He dodged the gauntlet.
"Now this is the point where I'm down two fights in kickboxing, one fight in MMA. I'm down three. This is in very movie, that one shot. This is my Eminem moment, my '8-Mile' moment: 'You get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes one in a life time.' This is it for me.
"Imagine if I get it done. Imagine if I butchered him and beat the f*** out of him. I always do. I put him on his back, we'll find out I do all this s*** and I beat his ass. Do some damage to him. Something amazing. Like I said, I don't keep score. I settle it."
Also on the main card is the durable Gilbert Burns, who takes on Miami's son Jorge Masvidal.
