MMA

Adesanya’s coach wanted Adesanya to have waited a little longer before Pereira rematch

Israel Adesanya is chomping at the bit to get his hands on Alex Pereira, but his coach Eugene Bareman is urging him to hold back his eagerness for a bit

The two fighters are set to meet for the fourth time in their careers at UFC 287 on April 8th, with Pereira holding two kickboxing wins over Adesanya. In November of 2021, Pereira scored a dramatic fifth-round TKO victory over Adesanya in their previous UFC bout. While it seemed possible that Pereira might face a new opponent for his first title defense, or even move up to challenge for the light heavyweight title, the UFC quickly scheduled a rematch between the two fierce rivals.

On a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Bareman expressed concern that Adesanya may be too eager to get his revenge, especially after recently undergoing minor surgery on his ankle.

“In an ideal world, I would have done what they do in boxing. I would have brought in a couple of guys for Israel to warm up on and then fight [Pereira]. In the UFC, we don’t have that choice, and, quite frankly, Israel is 100 percent adamant that he must be the next person to fight Alex Pereira. Beyond all doubt,” Bareman explained.

Bareman revealed that Adesanya had even offered to fight Pereira on short notice before undergoing surgery.

“Before Israel had his surgery and everything, Israel was prepared to take the fight on four to five weeks’ notice if Pereira was willing to take the fight.”

It is not clear which fight Bareman is referring to, but it could be the one against Khamzat Chimaev, or a main event at UFC 283 that needed a new headliner after a light heavyweight championship rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira was canceled due to a Prochazka injury.

Regardless of the timing, Adesanya is keen to erase the memory of his three previous defeats to Pereira, with the last loss, in particular, being a tough pill to swallow. Adesanya lost by a standing TKO, and some questioned the decision of the referee, Marc Goddard, to stop the fight.

Leon Osamor

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Champions League, World Cup and many more.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Fernandes’ hattrick sends United to UEL next round

Manchester United secured a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, advancing to the… Read More

March 14, 2025

Australian Grand Prix preview

The Formula 1 season is set to kick off this weekend with the Australian Grand… Read More

March 14, 2025

Thomas Tuchel’s first national team selection eagerly anticipated

England's new head coach, Thomas Tuchel, is set to announce his first squad on Friday… Read More

March 14, 2025

Europa: Bilbao send 10-man Roma out of tournament

Atletico Bilbao progressed to the quarterfinals of the Europa League at the expense of AS… Read More

March 14, 2025

Conference League: Dewsbury-Hall’s lone strike enough to seal Chelsea’s progression

Chelsea sailed through to the quarterfinals of the Europa Conference League after beating FC Copenhagen… Read More

March 14, 2025

Fernandes’ Hat-Trick Sends Manchester United Into Europa League Quarterfinals; Tottenham Also Advance

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both secured their spots in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals… Read More

March 14, 2025