Chris Curtis nails down why Israel Adesanya must defeat Alex Pereira at UFC 287, and it's not just for the title (Exclusive)

UFC middleweight Chris Curtis recently provided his opinion on the highly anticipated matchup between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira that's officially set for UFC 287. 'The Last Stylebender' and Alex Pereira have had quite the history. So far, the two have faced each other a total of three times, twice in kickboxing and once in the UFC. Unfortunately, for Adesanya, he hasn't won a single bout against 'Poatan.'

Nevertheless, the two are set to lock horns later this weekend as the former UFC middleweight champion looks to regain his championship once again. Speaking about the rivalry between Alex Pereira and the former UFC middleweight champion, Chris Curtis stated that 'The Last Stylebender' has to beat Pereira because it's "life or death" for him. In an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw of Sportskeeda MMA, Curtis said:

"My brain says Alex. I'm not even an Izzy fan. I am not an Izzy fan at all, but I kind of feel for the guy to where he's, like, you have your own personal Boogeyman who's followed you across two sports now. I saw the article the other day where Alex Pereira was like, 'I only came to MMA because Izzy said I would be forgotten.' I was like, holy sh*t you accidentally created your own Boogeyman. Like that is so perfectly Shakespearean poetic-like. So now, I'm like he's got to win this because I feel like this is life or death for Izzy."

Watch the interview below:

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Israel Adesanya is confident of beating Alex Pereira at UFC 287

As mentioned earlier, Adesanya will enter the octagon later this weekend against Alex Pereira. Entering the octagon as a challenger for the very first time in nearly five years, 'The Last Stylebender' certainly has a lot of pressure on his shoulders for the upcoming fight.

However, Israel Adesanya seems to be filled with confidence ahead of this matchup. While speaking about his rematch against Alex Periera during UFC 287 media day, 'The Last Stylebender' suggested that he has what it takes to beat 'Poatan:'

"I know what works for me, I know how I could beat this guy. I know every time I fight this guy, I'm dominating him, I'm beating him and then he has this special ability to recover and put his foot on the gas, so I have to find a way to take him out of the driver's seat, which I will."

Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below: