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Javier Mendez has put forth his take regarding why Israel Adesanya may be in for a tough test in a potential MMA fight against Alex Pereira. Pereira, a former Glory Kickboxing middleweight and light heavyweight champion, has beaten ‘Izzy’ twice in the sport of kickboxing.
On The Schmozone podcast, AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) head coach Javier Mendez spoke to hosts Dave Schmulenson aka The Schmo and Helen Yee regarding multiple topics. Mendez notably addressed Adesanya’s upcoming fight against middleweight knockout artist Jared Cannonier.
Mendez lauded Adesanya for his showmanship and asserted that he loves watching him fight. He suggested that Adesanya would beat Cannonier, but acknowledged that the latter could possibly catch ‘Izzy’ and put him out.
Additionally, Mendez praised Adesanya’s overall MMA skillset whilst noting that he could improve his jiu-jitsu. Furthermore, explaining why Pereira might prove to be a tough test for ‘Izzy’ in a possible MMA bout in the UFC, Mendez stated:
“Cannonier, can he take him [Adesanya] out? Yeah. But it’s gonna not be one of those – easy, I’ll strike him. It’s going to be one of those – I landed a shot, like that Alex Pereira guy.”
He added:
“Yeah. He’s got the kind of power and he’s got the experience that, you know, he’s obviously beaten ‘Izzy’ before. So, he’s the type of guy that can do something like that. But on a technical, you know, he [Adesanya] is such a great stand-up fighter and overall MMA smart fighter now. And he’s only going to get better.”
Watch Mendez address the Adesanya-Cannonier matchup and the potential MMA fight with Pereira at the 57-minute mark in the video below:
Israel Adesanya vows to exact revenge on Alex Pereira inside the octagon
Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya in a kickboxing match via unanimous decision in 2016 and then via third-round KO in 2017. Pereira will fight Sean Strickland at UFC 276 on July 2. Meanwhile, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to defend his title against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.
During a UFC 276 press conference in Australia, 'The Last Stylebender' was asked about possibly facing Pereira or Strickland after fighting Cannonier. Adesanya responded by noting that he’s willing to fight both Pereira and Strickland.
Israel Adesanya vowed to avenge his losses to Pereira. Jibing at today’s “TikTok generation” for their short memories, Adesanya emphasized that he was performing well in both fights. ‘Izzy’ maintained that he was winning their rematch before getting KO’d and said:
"This is not kickboxing, this is mixed martial arts. And these ain't big pillow gloves; these are four-ounce deadly weapons and I can't wait to drive that to his [Pereira’s] face after I go through Jared Cannonier."
Watch the UFC Press Conference featuring Adesanya and Volkanovski in the video below:
Fight fans can watch the video below for other updates in the MMA world:
