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During a recent interview with journalist Laerte Viana for Super Lutas, Alex Pereira criticized Israel Adesanya for his lack of improvements since making the jump over to mixed martial arts.
The two athletes share history, having met twice in the kickboxing ring in 2016 and 2017, with the Brazilian coming out on top on both occasions.
Alex Pereira has never shied away from speaking his mind about Adesanya. He continued to do so when asked about whether he believes the UFC middleweight champion has evolved since switching over to MMA:
"No. I think his striking is at a slightly lower level. In my opinion, I think so. Because there was a division there, he had to specialize 100 percent in MMA, in other modalities, right? But... I don't see an evolution from him... But what he already has is enough to keep winning all those fights, keep the victories."
'The Last Stylebender' has been the subject of criticism recently due to his perceived lack of entertainment since becoming champion. While his win over Paulo Costa is regarded as one of his standout performances, he has amassed a handful of forgettable fights during his title reign.
'Poatan' successfully made his UFC debut with a spectacular flying knee knockout over Andreas Michailidis last year. The 34-year-old plans on reaching the top of the division and stripping Israel Adesanya of his middleweight belt.
Listen to Pereira talk about Adesanya below:
Could Israel Adesanya fight Alex Pereira in the UFC?
Israel Adesanya has made the 185 lb division his own since his arrival in the UFC. After defending his title four times, the Nigerian-born fighter has his sights set on Jared Cannonier for his next matchup.
Alex Pereira will also be looking to make quick work of the contenders around him and climb the rankings in search of a potential matchup against Adesanya in the future.
To rise through the division, the Brazil native must first face his countryman and notable knockout artist Bruno Silva. The two meet on March 12, where the former Glory champion will be tasked with putting a stop to the seven-fight win streak of the 32-year-old Silva.
