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Although Alex Pereira managed to earn a TKO victory over Israel Adesanya to capture middleweight gold, it is the 'Stylebender' that Punahele Soriano believes will be a much tougher challenge for him.
'Poatan' shook the world when he was able to claw back from a certain defeat to not only take the 185lb throne but also knock out the long-reigning champion in the process. While no news regarding his first defense has been made public, it is expected that the South American will give 'Izzy' an instant rematch.
During a recent interview, Punahele Soriano insisted that Adesanya was "a way harder fight." This comes despite Alex Pereira currently holding middleweight gold and arguably being the much more terrifying fighter. Soriano said:
"I mean, honestly, I feel so far away [compared to the champion]. I'm not saying I'm out of reach, but I'm just saying like, at the moment, where we're at now, it's just not there. But I still feel like Izzy's the way harder fight than Alex, just from that portion where Izzy held him down, I thought that made him the easier fight. But he's got the nuclear option as well, which is freaking super scary. I still think Izzy's way harder of a fight than Alex, no offense, I don't want Alex to be mad at me and smash me on the streets for some reason."
Set to compete on January 14, 'Story Time' will throw down in the middle of the UFC octagon against the tough Roman Kopylov. The fight is almost certainly going to end with a huge knockout victory for one of the middleweight contenders.
Check out what Puna Soriano had to say about Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira in the video below.
Is Israel Adesanya a tougher matchup than Alex Pereira?
Mixed martial arts is arguably the most unpredictable sport in the world with countless fighting styles and techniques. Many competitors in the middleweight division consider Israel Adesanya a tougher fight than the current champion.
Despite possessing devastating power, Alex Pereira lacks in certain departments of MMA. He was seen struggling at times in the grappling during his clash against the Nigerian last time out.
With this in mind, he is still a feared striker who is capable of knocking out many opponents. He can be a target for wrestle-heavy gameplans by a number of elite challengers in the weight class.
