Israel Adesanya has so far been winless against longtime rival Alex Pereira. “The Last Stylebender” has been 0-3 so far, with the most recent loss happening at UFC 281 last November, where he lost the undisputed middleweight title in the process.
The two are set for a rematch for the UFC 185-pound title at UFC 287. And for Adesanya, getting to finally notch a win over Pereira matters much more than reclaiming the belt he once held for three straight years.
“I’ve never not been motivated to fight this guy, but for this one I’ve put the pressure on myself,” Adesanya said during the UFC 284 media scrum in Perth on Saturday (H/T MMA Fighting).