"Entering that dark place in training" - Fans commend Israel Adesanya for using scarring footage of KO at the hands of Alex Pereira as a motivator in UFC 281 fight camp video

Israel Adesanya is set to defend his middleweight belt against his old kickboxing rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Adesanya recently released the first episode of his fight camp vlogs to his YouTube channel, drawing positive reactions from fans.

Adesanya will be looking for his sixth title defense at UFC 281, while Pereira will look to become the first middleweight to defeat him in mixed martial arts. The pair share a history dating back to their kickboxing days, where they met twice.

Pereira was able to defeat Adesanya both times, including handing him his only knockout loss in any combat sport. The knockout marked Adesanya's last professional kickboxing match.

Adesanya recently released footage of his preparations for his upcoming title defense to his YouTube channel, drawing positive reactions from fans. User @James Hill pointed out Adesanya's usage of the knockout footage, stating:

"Entering that dark place in training. Keep grinding champ! AND STILL!!"

@Keith Gordon commended Adesanya for his humbleness:

"I love that once Izzy hits the Gym...the Millionaire is gone! He's humble, hungry, & trains like an unaccomplished WARRIOR!!!! That whole Academy does. Cool Team, Coach, and energy!!!! Love ya' Izzy!!! You got this upcoming VICTORY!!!!"

@EasyMoneySniper shared their expectations for UFC 281:

"Man I think this man is gonna put on the best performance of his career"

@2 dank added their admiration for Adesanya's willingness to accept challenges:

"Even if you're not a fan of adesanya you gotta admire him taking toughest challenges available"

Check out some of the comments below:

Screenshots via @FREESTYLEBENDER/YouTube

Watch Israel Adesanya's training footage below:

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Henry Cejudo claims UFC newcomer Bo Nickal can defeat Israel Adesanya

Henry Cejudo has been singing Bo Nickal's praises following his back-to-back dominant performances on Dana White's Contender Series. The former double champion recently claimed that he believes the prestigious collegiate wrestler could beat Israel Adesanya.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cejudo stated:

"I think if you're able to put him against Israel Adesanya now, just according to styles, Bo Nickal beats him. Bo Nickal beats him - he puts him to his back, controls his wrists, grapples the heck out of him, and that's all she wrote."

Watch Henry Cejudo discuss Bo Nickal and Israel Adesanya below (starting at the 1:25 mark):

While Nickal's wrestling is a serious threat, he is far too early in his mixed martial arts career to be viewed as a serious title contender. Despite the hype surrounding him, it could be another year or two before Nickal gets a title opportunity.

Cejudo also recently revealed that he doesn't believe Adesanya will remain the champion after UFC 281.