Israel Adesanya is expressing his strong support for Alex Pereira’s quest to become a three-division UFC champion. Pereira is set to make his heavyweight debut on June 14th at UFC Freedom 250, facing Ciryl Gane. Should he win and capture the interim heavyweight title, he will achieve a historic milestone as the first fighter in the UFC to hold belts in three different weight classes.
Despite their past intense rivalry in both UFC and kickboxing, Adesanya and Pereira have developed a deep mutual respect and maintain a friendly relationship. Adesanya has consistently shown his support for his former competitor.
“I want to see Alex achieve this,” Adesanya stated, lauding Pereira. “Honestly, I believe it would be beneficial for the sport and an incredible personal achievement, something never before attempted. It’s akin to witnessing the first person to conquer Mount Everest or break the four-minute mile. I simply want to see him succeed.”
Adesanya further elaborated on the unique dynamic of supporting a former rival: “People don’t fully grasp the feeling of rooting for someone you’ve competed against. It transcends personal ego; it’s about witnessing history. To see someone accomplish such a feat, knowing you played a part in their journey, is incredibly cool. My official prediction? I’m going with ‘chama by chama’ (a phrase suggesting unwavering support).”
In a recent interview, Alex Pereira also shared his thoughts on Adesanya’s recent performance struggles. “The guy has had a brilliant career. That can happen to anyone. I just signed for eight fights; that could happen to me tomorrow,” Pereira commented on Adesanya’s losing streak. “I can start losing. Those things can happen. He’s had great moments, a great career, and great success, and he has my respect.”
English Translation:
Israel Adesanya is rooting for Alex Pereira and wants the Brazilian to achieve three-division glory in the UFC, especially after his potential win on June 14th. This weekend, in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250, the former two-division champion will be making his debut in the heavyweight division against Ciryl Gane. If Pereira defeats Gane and secures the interim heavyweight championship, he will become the first UFC fighter to hold titles in three different weight classes.
Pereira’s former UFC and kickboxing rival, Israel Adesanya, has once again shown his support. After years of competitive rivalry, the two have put their past differences aside and have developed a strong mutual respect, often backing each other and maintaining a friendly relationship.
“I want to see Alex do it [win the third UFC belt],” Adesanya recently said, praising “Poatan” and showing support for the Brazilian. “Honestly, I think it’s going to be good for the sport. It’s going to be great for him to achieve something that’s never even been attempted. It’s like seeing the first person climb Everest or run a four-minute mile. I just want to see him do it… People don’t understand what it’s like to root for someone you’ve competed against. It’s not about me; it’s bigger than me. This is history. To see someone achieve this, and you played a part in helping them get there, it’s f***ing cool, man… My official pick. I’m going ‘chama by chama’.”
Alex Pereira recently commented on Israel Adesanya’s losing streak. Adesanya is currently on a four-fight losing streak and has been finished in his last two fights. However, the Nigerian-born Kiwi has no immediate plans to retire and has vowed to “go again and again.”
When asked about Adesanya’s recent struggles in an interview with Guilherme Cruz, Pereira responded: “The guy had a brilliant career. That can happen to anybody. I just signed [for] eight fights; that can happen to me tomorrow… I can start losing. Those things can happen. The guy had great moments, a great career, and great success, and he has my respect.”
