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Israel Adesanya has confirmed that he intends to face Alex Pereira in his next UFC title defense. Adesanya successfully defended his belt for the fifth time on Saturday night, defeating Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision.
In the post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Adesanya took to the mic to call out 'Poatan' who was looking on from the crowd. In an interview with McKenzie Pavacich, Israel Adesanya was asked to confirm the call-out. He said:
"That's the fight, that's the next fight. I like the fact that people, you know, we live in the TikTok era, 15-second memories, so yeah I'm going to use that to my advantage."
'The Last Stylebender' here refers to how most fans only know that Pereira knocked Adesanya out, and nothing more about their fights prior to the end. The 'TikTok' memory does not allow people to see the complete picture of their previous encounters, which Izzy will utilize.
Adesanya admitted that Saturday was an off-night for him. The fight, although very technical, lacked the anticipated action as both men were tentative to engage. This was disappointing to fans considering it had been hyped up to be a 'gunfight' by Dana White. On the bright side, a fight with Periera has amazing potential given the storyline and Pereira's ability to match Izzy's stand-up.
Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later, so fans' memories can be cleansed of Saturday night's disappointing main event.
You can watch Adesanya's full interview with McKenzie Pavacich below:
Alex Pereira prepared for Israel Adesanya fight whenever the champion is ready
In the post-fight press-conference at UFC 276, Pereria was asked when he would be ready for the fight with 'The Last Stylebender'. Pereira left it up to Israel Adesanya, stating:
"Whenever he's ready. I just finished my fight, I'm fine. I could start training tomorrow. I think I'll take two weeks first to enjoy my life a little bit. But yes whenever he thinks he's ready, I'm good."
Adesanya might need a little more time than Pereira to get ready as he had a longer night at the office, going all five rounds as opposed to Pereira's first-round knockout. Ultimately, it will come down to where the UFC wants to place what will be a high-profile and interesting bout.
You can watch Pereria's full press-conference interview below:
