Israel Adesanya set to leave Conor McGregor behind post UFC 287 fight against Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya is scheduled to fight this Sunday. In a bid to reclaim the UFC Middleweight title the Last Stylebender will be up against arguably his biggest nemesis to date, Alex Pereira. The match will headline the Pay-per-View event UFC 287.

With Israel Adesanya set to main event another one of the PPV shows, the fighter is about to leave premier names like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov behind in this section. While roughly four years have passed since he emerged on the main event scene, the middleweight has set a new record in this span. UFC 287 will be the 10th PPV where Izzy will be featured in the marquee fight. Post the much-anticipated showdown against Alex Pereira, Adesanya will have more headliners to his name than Conor McGregor. 

Also read: UFC 287 Card, UFC Fight Schedule, Alex Pereira Vs Israel Adesanya Live Streaming Details

Israel Adesanya to face daunting odds at UFC 287

For his consistency, while holding the 185 lbs title strap, Adesanya was often praised by the fans and by UFC president Dana White. However, the scenario is different now, he is now the challenger for the title that he held for more than 3 years. Thus, to become the primary target again and reinstate the status of an active champion he will have to beat Alex Pereira, this Sunday. The MMA professional will face daunting odds and will be up against an intimidating record, which presents the picture that UFC fighters trying to win back their title in immediate rematches have failed in their objective 12 out of 15 times. Only three individuals won back the ultimate prize immediately after losing it. So, will Israel Adesanya alter history at UFC 287 or will he become an addition to the list of former champions who could not win back the gold? All to be witnessed at the grand event.

Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira: UFC 287 preview

Alex Pereira is the same fighter that defeated Israel Adesanya not once but twice. He got the better Adesanya in the kickboxing arena and did the same in the UFC circuit as well. The Middleweight champion will have the psychological edge over Adesanya. But, the former champ will also fancy his chances, given how at UFC 281, when the two met inside the Octagon for the first time, it was him who was winning on the scorecard before the final flurry of Punches led to the eventual stoppage. So, with both fighters knowing how to fight to their strengths, it would be a difficult pick for the fight fraternity. However, one thing is certain, when the two will be locked inside the Octagon a new chapter in their rivalry would be written.