Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: UFC world blasts Israel Adesanya for following friendly airport encounter with Alex Pereira with cheap Instagram potshot

While it’s unlikely they’ll face off again in the near future, it seems that UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and former titleholder Alex Pereira cannot avoid one another.

The two rivals have faced off four times in the past, with Pereira winning three of their bouts and Adesanya finally claiming victory in their most recent clash at UFC 287.

Following their recent bout, it appeared that the two men had buried the hatchet, but it appears that the old rivalry will never truly die, particularly from Adesanya’s perspective.

In what appeared to be a coincidence, the two fighters recently crossed paths in an airport, with both men posting videos of the encounter to social media.

Adesanya’s perspective saw him refer to his life as a “video game”, essentially suggesting that he simply can’t avoid the Brazilian.

While Pereira’s video showed the two men behaving in a cordial manner, a later Instagram story from ‘The Last Stylebender’ was a little more ruthless.

He posted a photo of Pereira, taken from behind in an apparent queue, and wrote “FYI: I got the kill shot” in reference to his knockout of ‘Poatan’.

Unsurprisingly, this hasn’t sat too well with many UFC fans online, with some labelling him "cringe" and others questioning why he chose to wait until Pereira turned his back to take the photo.

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira: Are the two rivals likely to fight again?

Judging from their recent meeting in the airport, the rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira is still not truly over.

The question, then, is whether these two rivals will meet inside the octagon for a third time in the near future.

Right now, this fight doesn’t appear to be likely. Following his recent loss to ‘The Last Stylebender’, Pereira quickly announced that he was moving up to 205lbs for his next fight.

It has since been announced that ‘Poatan’ will be taking on former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291, in a bout that could put him on a path to a title shot at 205lbs.

Israel Adesanya’s next middleweight title fight, meanwhile, has yet to be announced. However, it has been strongly suggested that he’ll be taking on the winner of the upcoming bout between Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis when he returns to action.

Given that this fight is set to take place on July 9 at UFC 290, it’s probably fair to guess that Adesanya may not return until 2024.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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