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Alex Pereira questions if Israel Adesanya was injured ahead of UFC 305: ‘He kicked very little’

A four-time foe of former two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, undisputed light heavyweight best, Alex Pereira has suggested the former may have been carrying an injury into his return at UFC 305 earlier this month — pointing to his kick-light approach to his fight with Dricus du Plessis.

Adesanya, a former undisputed middleweight champion twice under the banner of the promotion, headlined UFC 305 in Perth, Australia against bitter-rival, du Plessis — dropping his second consecutive loss for the first time in his mixed martial arts career.

Israel Adesanya was aiming to finish Dricus Du Plessis in round 4: 'I was like he is done'
Alex Pereira questions if Israel Adesanya was injured ahead of UFC 305: 'He kicked very little' 2

Struggling with the pressure and timing of Pretoria native, du Plessis, Adesanya was stunned in the fourth round before he was swept off his feet with a takedown, and wrapped in a taut rear-naked choke — forced to tap and give up a middleweight title fight for the second bout in a row.