Adesanya’s stance on a potential third bout with Pereira: “If he clinches the light heavyweight title, ‘I’m game'”

A third clash between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira, is that on the horizon?

A potential rematch between these fierce competitors appears dubious, given Pereira’s forthcoming move into the light heavyweight category to face Jan Blachowicz, while Adesanya anticipates the next contender for his middleweight crown. However, considering their storied rivalry, a reunion in the octagon cannot be ruled out.

The maiden victory for Adesanya in his quartet of matches with Pereira arrived at UFC 287 this past April, finally defeating Pereira following a championship match defeat at UFC 281 and two earlier kickboxing losses to the Brazilian puncher. Even though both seem eager to turn the page, Adesanya might consider a third MMA clash with Pereira, provided Pereira ascends to champion status in his new division.

“Should he secure the 205 belt, I’m game,” Adesanya declared on The MMA Hour. “Otherwise, I believe he’s over it, I’m over it, everyone else might want it, but we’ve moved forward. Such is life.”

Pereira, who previously held two-division championship titles in the Glory Kickboxing league, is not unfamiliar with triumphing in dual weight categories. He is slated to compete against Blachowicz, an ex-UFC light heavyweight champion, in the co-main event of UFC 291 on July 29.

Blachowicz’s successful title defenses include a victory over Adesanya, prompting Adesanya to share some strategic advice with Pereira during their recent airport encounter.

“I reckon [Pereira] might just knock him out. … We had a chat for about two minutes or so and I suggested some tactics for handling Jan,” Adesanya recounted. “We had the same thought that he’s going to knock him out, but I cautioned him, ‘Be wary, he’s aware of your striking prowess so he’ll be patient with you as he was with me.’ What we thought he would do, he didn’t, because he’s an exceptional striker. He had the same plan, but I feel like if Jan doesn’t finish him, [Pereira] will take him down.”

Adesanya’s been non-committal about another bout with Pereira partly because of the immense satisfaction he felt after knocking Pereira out in their second MMA match. With Pereira having won knockout victories over Adesanya in both kickboxing and UFC, Adesanya believes this has tainted his legacy somewhat.

Now, he’s content with whatever comes next concerning Pereira.

“If you asked me if my win at UFC 287 was one of my career’s highlights, absolutely,” Adesanya said. “I’ve made this clear before, if we spar another 10 times and he trumps me all 10 times, it’s irrelevant to me. It’s not about that. I just had to prove to myself that I’m capable of beating this guy because every time we faced off — I won the first match, the judges called it wrong. The second time, I was leading but then he got me. The third time, again at MSG, I was leading, then he got me. It’s clear we can take this guy down, but he just has that fighting spirit. He’s an excellent competitor. He’s an interesting guy, I respect his journey, even in Brazil when he knocked me out, that’s a great anecdote for him. But I just knew I could conquer him.

“It was about pushing myself to the limit. I piled on the pressure in the last training camp … I had to delve into some dark

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More about Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Trilogy

• Israel Adesanya’s career history
• Alex Pereira’s career history
• Information about UFC 287
• Details about UFC 291
• Details about the light heavyweight division