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Israel Adesanya reclaimed his middleweight crown by stopping longtime rival Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last Sat. night (April 8, 2023) at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., avenging a technical knockout loss to “Poatan” from late last year and evening up their mixed martial arts (MMA) score at one apiece.
Watch video highlights of their 185-pound rematch right here.
I’m sure Adesanya and his team are in no rush to rebook a fight against the Brazilian having now faced him four times across two different sports. I just don’t know if “The Last Stylebender” can make a better case in terms of a new opponent — and he’s got himself to blame after previously cleaning out the top half of the division.
Here’s the current middleweight Top 10:
1. Israel Adesanya (soon to be Alex Pereira)2. Robert Whittaker3. Marvin Vettori4. Jared Cannonier5. Paulo Costa6. Dricus Du Plessis7. Sean Strickland8. Derek Brunson9. Roman Dolidze10. Jack Hermansson
See the entire Top 15 here.
Six of the Top 10 have already been defeated by either Adesanya or Pereira. Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson have yet to face them but both combatants are coming off high-profile losses. That leaves No. 6-ranked Dricus Du Plessis, a worthy middleweight at 19-2, I just can’t imagine anyone besides Adesanya picking that fight over a Pereira trilogy.
From Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier to Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena, the promotion has not been shy about booking the same championship fight three times in a row. In the absence of a clearcut middleweight contender, there’s no reason to not do likewise for Adesanya vs. Pereira. Unless promotion president Dana White believes he can somehow sell the unranked Khamzat Chimaev.
“Congratulations Stylebender see you soon,” Chimaev wrote on Twitter. “Now it’s my time, let’s go make it happen Dana White.”
Chimaev is undefeated at 12-0 and has victories at both welterweight and middleweight. That said, “Borz” is also coming off a poor showing on the scale and has yet to face anyone ranked in the middleweight Top 15. I don’t know how that qualifies him for “the top three guys in the world” and I’m not sure he can outwork an established 185-pounder like Marvin Vettori or Sean Strickland.
One way to find out.
The other variable that could prevent a third UFC fight between Adesanya and Pereira is an admission from Team Poatan that cutting to middleweight is no longer feasible for the Brazilian’s massive frame (as predicted). Light heavyweight may also present some interesting matchups for Pereira and give him an opportunity to avenge this loss for his longtime friend and mentor.
It may be too early to tell what the promotion has planned for either fighter but an end-of-year rubber match may do more than just settle their rivalry. It will also give the middleweight division more time to establish a clearcut contender for late 2023 or early 2024, depending on how quickly Adesanya and Co. return to action.
For now, it’s back to New Zealand for a “Stylebender” victory lap.
For more UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” results, news, videos, and post-fight fallout be sure to hit up our comprehensive UFC 287 event archive right here.
Israel Adesanya reclaimed his middleweight crown by stopping longtime rival Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last Sat. night (April 8, 2023) at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., avenging a technical knockout loss to “Poatan” from late last year and evening up their mixed martial arts (MMA) score at one apiece.
Watch video highlights of their 185-pound rematch right here.
I’m sure Adesanya and his team are in no rush to rebook a fight against the Brazilian having now faced him four times across two different sports. I just don’t know if “The Last Stylebender” can make a better case in terms of a new opponent — and he’s got himself to blame after previously cleaning out the top half of the division.
Here’s the current middleweight Top 10:
1. Israel Adesanya (soon to be Alex Pereira)
2. Robert Whittaker
3. Marvin Vettori
4. Jared Cannonier
5. Paulo Costa
6. Dricus Du Plessis
7. Sean Strickland
8. Derek Brunson
9. Roman Dolidze
10. Jack Hermansson
See the entire Top 15 here.
Six of the Top 10 have already been defeated by either Adesanya or Pereira. Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson have yet to face them but both combatants are coming off high-profile losses. That leaves No. 6-ranked Dricus Du Plessis, a worthy middleweight at 19-2, I just can’t imagine anyone besides Adesanya picking that fight over a Pereira trilogy.
From Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier to Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena, the promotion has not been shy about booking the same championship fight three times in a row. In the absence of a clearcut middleweight contender, there’s no reason to not do likewise for Adesanya vs. Pereira. Unless promotion president Dana White believes he can somehow sell the unranked Khamzat Chimaev.
“Congratulations Stylebender see you soon,” Chimaev wrote on Twitter. “Now it’s my time, let’s go make it happen Dana White.”
Chimaev is undefeated at 12-0 and has victories at both welterweight and middleweight. That said, “Borz” is also coming off a poor showing on the scale and has yet to face anyone ranked in the middleweight Top 15. I don’t know how that qualifies him for “the top three guys in the world” and I’m not sure he can outwork an established 185-pounder like Marvin Vettori or Sean Strickland.
One way to find out.
The other variable that could prevent a third UFC fight between Adesanya and Pereira is an admission from Team Poatan that cutting to middleweight is no longer feasible for the Brazilian’s massive frame (as predicted). Light heavyweight may also present some interesting matchups for Pereira and give him an opportunity to avenge this loss for his longtime friend and mentor.
It may be too early to tell what the promotion has planned for either fighter but an end-of-year rubber match may do more than just settle their rivalry. It will also give the middleweight division more time to establish a clearcut contender for late 2023 or early 2024, depending on how quickly Adesanya and Co. return to action.
For now, it’s back to New Zealand for a “Stylebender” victory lap.
For more UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” results, news, videos, and post-fight fallout be sure to hit up our comprehensive UFC 287 event archive right here.
Click here to view the article.
Watch video highlights of their 185-pound rematch right here.
I’m sure Adesanya and his team are in no rush to rebook a fight against the Brazilian having now faced him four times across two different sports. I just don’t know if “The Last Stylebender” can make a better case in terms of a new opponent — and he’s got himself to blame after previously cleaning out the top half of the division.
Here’s the current middleweight Top 10:
1. Israel Adesanya (soon to be Alex Pereira)2. Robert Whittaker3. Marvin Vettori4. Jared Cannonier5. Paulo Costa6. Dricus Du Plessis7. Sean Strickland8. Derek Brunson9. Roman Dolidze10. Jack Hermansson
See the entire Top 15 here.
Six of the Top 10 have already been defeated by either Adesanya or Pereira. Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson have yet to face them but both combatants are coming off high-profile losses. That leaves No. 6-ranked Dricus Du Plessis, a worthy middleweight at 19-2, I just can’t imagine anyone besides Adesanya picking that fight over a Pereira trilogy.
From Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier to Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena, the promotion has not been shy about booking the same championship fight three times in a row. In the absence of a clearcut middleweight contender, there’s no reason to not do likewise for Adesanya vs. Pereira. Unless promotion president Dana White believes he can somehow sell the unranked Khamzat Chimaev.
“Congratulations Stylebender see you soon,” Chimaev wrote on Twitter. “Now it’s my time, let’s go make it happen Dana White.”
Chimaev is undefeated at 12-0 and has victories at both welterweight and middleweight. That said, “Borz” is also coming off a poor showing on the scale and has yet to face anyone ranked in the middleweight Top 15. I don’t know how that qualifies him for “the top three guys in the world” and I’m not sure he can outwork an established 185-pounder like Marvin Vettori or Sean Strickland.
One way to find out.
The other variable that could prevent a third UFC fight between Adesanya and Pereira is an admission from Team Poatan that cutting to middleweight is no longer feasible for the Brazilian’s massive frame (as predicted). Light heavyweight may also present some interesting matchups for Pereira and give him an opportunity to avenge this loss for his longtime friend and mentor.
It may be too early to tell what the promotion has planned for either fighter but an end-of-year rubber match may do more than just settle their rivalry. It will also give the middleweight division more time to establish a clearcut contender for late 2023 or early 2024, depending on how quickly Adesanya and Co. return to action.
For now, it’s back to New Zealand for a “Stylebender” victory lap.
For more UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” results, news, videos, and post-fight fallout be sure to hit up our comprehensive UFC 287 event archive right here.
Israel Adesanya reclaimed his middleweight crown by stopping longtime rival Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last Sat. night (April 8, 2023) at Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., avenging a technical knockout loss to “Poatan” from late last year and evening up their mixed martial arts (MMA) score at one apiece.
Watch video highlights of their 185-pound rematch right here.
I’m sure Adesanya and his team are in no rush to rebook a fight against the Brazilian having now faced him four times across two different sports. I just don’t know if “The Last Stylebender” can make a better case in terms of a new opponent — and he’s got himself to blame after previously cleaning out the top half of the division.
Here’s the current middleweight Top 10:
1. Israel Adesanya (soon to be Alex Pereira)
2. Robert Whittaker
3. Marvin Vettori
4. Jared Cannonier
5. Paulo Costa
6. Dricus Du Plessis
7. Sean Strickland
8. Derek Brunson
9. Roman Dolidze
10. Jack Hermansson
See the entire Top 15 here.
Six of the Top 10 have already been defeated by either Adesanya or Pereira. Roman Dolidze and Jack Hermansson have yet to face them but both combatants are coming off high-profile losses. That leaves No. 6-ranked Dricus Du Plessis, a worthy middleweight at 19-2, I just can’t imagine anyone besides Adesanya picking that fight over a Pereira trilogy.
From Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier to Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena, the promotion has not been shy about booking the same championship fight three times in a row. In the absence of a clearcut middleweight contender, there’s no reason to not do likewise for Adesanya vs. Pereira. Unless promotion president Dana White believes he can somehow sell the unranked Khamzat Chimaev.
“Congratulations Stylebender see you soon,” Chimaev wrote on Twitter. “Now it’s my time, let’s go make it happen Dana White.”
Chimaev is undefeated at 12-0 and has victories at both welterweight and middleweight. That said, “Borz” is also coming off a poor showing on the scale and has yet to face anyone ranked in the middleweight Top 15. I don’t know how that qualifies him for “the top three guys in the world” and I’m not sure he can outwork an established 185-pounder like Marvin Vettori or Sean Strickland.
One way to find out.
The other variable that could prevent a third UFC fight between Adesanya and Pereira is an admission from Team Poatan that cutting to middleweight is no longer feasible for the Brazilian’s massive frame (as predicted). Light heavyweight may also present some interesting matchups for Pereira and give him an opportunity to avenge this loss for his longtime friend and mentor.
It may be too early to tell what the promotion has planned for either fighter but an end-of-year rubber match may do more than just settle their rivalry. It will also give the middleweight division more time to establish a clearcut contender for late 2023 or early 2024, depending on how quickly Adesanya and Co. return to action.
For now, it’s back to New Zealand for a “Stylebender” victory lap.
For more UFC 287: “Pereira vs. Adesanya 2” results, news, videos, and post-fight fallout be sure to hit up our comprehensive UFC 287 event archive right here.
Click here to view the article.
