Alex Pereira is confident Israel Adesanya won’t want a title rematch

“It makes no difference who they want to put after” Pereira told reporters at UFC 281 media day.

“He deserves it, but after this fight he isn’t going to want it.”

In their two kickboxing bouts against each other, Pereira won both by decision and by knockout. The fact that he is the only person to defeat Adesanya in a combat sport fight has been used as a major selling factor in putting the two together for the main event of UFC 281.

The fight takes place at Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast on pay-per-view after preliminary rounds air on ESPNews and ESPN+. Adesanya has described the fight as “personal” to him because of their history. Adesanya’s statements, according to Pereira, show that he’s nervous about fighting again, an assertion that Pereira strongly refutes.

“I will do my work and job like I would if I was fighting anyone else. I just focus on fighting for the title. …. I don’t know how he would possibly be over that (knockout). It’s still in his mind.”

“Anything can happen – many possibilities,” Pereira said.

“Maybe Israel can go and try to take me down. If that happens, it’s going to be more of desperation instead of strategy.”