Israel Adesanya says he doesn’t care about defending his belt next weekend. Instead, the focus is on beating Alex Pereira.
Adesanya and Pereira have a history with one another as they fought twice in kickboxing. Both times, Periera won, including winning one by KO. Now, as they are set to meet in the main event of UFC 281 next Saturday. Adesanya says his sole focus is beating Pereira, and he no longer cares about his belt.
Israel Adesanya is Solely Focuses on Defeating Alex Pereira
“Beating him, that’s what matters,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Like, the belt? F*ck the belt. Just beating him, a killer like him, that’s what matters.”
If Adesanya can defeat Pereira, he says it will right the wrongs of the kickboxing fights and prove he is the better fighter. Along with that, he says he has studied those fights and knows he has gotten better and believes he will prove that next Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
“We’ve dusted that off, we’ve cut it off, and I can see what I did wrong,” Adesanya said. “So, it’s not gonna be like last time. This is a different fighter you’re facing, and now I’ve become another fighter. I’ve re-birthed myself. I’ve re-birthed it, and I just feel like I want to have fun. That’s the goal. But this fight, I’m gonna have fun. That’s the ultimate goal. And when I have fun, I’m the best in the world.”
Israel Adesanya is On a Roll
Adesanya (23-1) is coming off a decision win over Jared Cannonier back in July to defend his title for the fifth time. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is on a three-fight win streak as to begin 2022 he beat Robert Whittaker by decision in the rematch. Adesanya returned to the win column last June with a win over Marvin Vettori after dropping a decision to Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight title. In his career, he holds notable wins over Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Anderson Silva, and Kelvin Gastelum among others.
