By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer
Israel Adesanya could have taken the easier path by fighting lesser opponents and building back his resume after losing to Alex Pereira in November at UFC 281.
Adesanya didn’t want to wait.
He will be back in the Octagon on Saturday for UFC 287 in Miami for a rematch for the middleweight championship.
Even though he is the challenger, the 33-year-old Adesanya is a minus-142 favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. He was either unaware of the betting line or chose to ignore it, offering his own narrative of a comeback that he called “one of the greatest storylines in MMA history.”
“Not many people get the opportunity to show how great they are, to rise to the occasion when all the odds are stacked against them, when people have counted them out,” Adesanya said. “For me, this fight I feel like the underdog. I feel like everyone’s counting me out. They’ve forgot what I’ve done in this game. They’ve forgot who I am, and it’s time to remind people how great I am.”
Maybe one reason Adesanya (23-2) wants this fight against Pereira (7-1) so quickly was because he was beating the Brazilian 39-37 on all three scorecards entering the fifth and final round at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pereira could only win by knockout, and that’s what he got 2:01 into the round.
That loss ended Adesanya’s 12-match winning streak at middleweight, one short of Anderson Silva’s record. It also stripped Adesanya of the belt he held since 2019.
“I know how I can beat this guy,” Adesanya said. “I know every time I fight this guy I’m dominating him and beating him, and then he has this special ability to recover and put his foot on the gas. So I have to find a way to take him out of the driver’s seat, which I will.”
Pereira has never lost to Adesanya, who was born in Nigeria but lives in New Zealand. Before the two met in November, Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in kickboxing.
Even in the most recent match, Pereira said he believed he had the upper hand despite trailing in points, and he proved that with the KO.
Pereira, 35, easily could have passed on Adesanya’s rematch wish when considering which opponent he wanted for his first title defense.
“He was a dominant champion,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “Maybe he could’ve done two or three (fights) before that, but he wanted to do it right away. I said, ‘No problem.’”
Fifth-ranked welterweight contender Gilbert Burns (21-5) will face No. 11 Jorge Masvidal (35-16) in the lead-up fight to the main event.
UFC President Dana White said he preferred Adesanya’s desire for a quick rematch over a fighter choosing the more cautious route.
“This guy’s a real fighter that wants to prove himself against the best, wants to be looked at as the best, wants to be looked at as one of the greatest of all time,” White said. “You’ve got to respect that. Those are the kind of guys I love. The guys who are strategic drive me crazy. There is no strategy. You have to fight everybody in the top ten. That’s it.
“What you want to do is create a legacy for yourself and prove to the world that not only are you the best in the world, but you’re the greatest of all time. That’s what everybody should be striving to do.”
Pereira is giving Adesanya that chance, but said one rematch was enough. He didn’t plan on creating the possibility for a UFC trilogy.
“I believe that me beating him this Saturday,” Pereira said, “I will never face him again.”
