"In the first round, you're going to see him start to fold" - Israel Adesanya rubbishes narrative that size will play to Alex Pereira's favor

Israel Adesanya is preparing to defend his middleweight crown for the sixth time against Alex Pereira. The fight will headline UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden and is one of the most anticipated matchups of the year.

'The Last Stylebender' is an exceptional athlete and has used his height and reach to compliment his stand-up skills. However, many feel that the imposing figure of 'Poatan' will be too much for Adesanya to handle.

Pereira is seemingly one of the largest middleweights on the roster. Despite being the same height as the champion at 193 cm, the Brazilian is far more muscular and reaches a larger weight when out of camp.

However, in a recent interview with The AllStar, Israel Adesanya dismissed any perceived advantage that Pereira's size may give him:

"I can go f***ing 45 minutes. If this fight has to go, each round, until someone falls, trust me, I know who's gonna be left standing... I honestly think within the first five minutes, within the first round, give him three minutes with the pace, I think it's gonna be a high pace... In the first round, you're gonna see him start to fold. He won't be able to keep the high pace."

Watch the interview below:

Israel Adesanya has previously faced Alex Pereira twice in kickboxing. 'Poatan' walked away victorious on both occasions, leading many to believe he could complete the hat-trick against Adesanya on November 12.

However, the Nigerian-New Zealander has reminded fans that this is MMA, and the champion believes Pereira will be in for a rude awakening come fight night.

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Israel Adesanya gives Alex Pereira a 6 out of 10 on the "threat meter"

Israel Adesanya will face Alex Pereira for the third time in his combat career when the pair face off in the UFC 281 main event on November 12.

'The Last Stylebender' previously faced 'Poatan' in two kickboxing matches. The Brazilian was able to win the first fight via decision and the second with a vicious left-hook knockout.

Despite the 0-2 record against Pereira, Israel Adesanya is fully aware that the third fight will be a mixed martial arts contest. With that in mind, he is confident that he will defeat his less-experienced MMA counterpart.

In a recent interview with Combat TV, Adesanya was asked to rate Pereira on the "threat-meter" out of 10. The champion responded:

"Threat meter as an MMA fighter, I'll give him like a six, if I'm being honest. Threat meter six. There's one thing he's really good at, it's that left hook. It's what he catches a lot of people with. He's not gonna catch me with a flying knee."

Watch the interview below: