Israel Adesanya praises Alex Pereira ahead of UFC title fight

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 09: (L-R) Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are seen in attendance during the UFC 312 event at Qudos Bank Arena on February 09, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Israel Adesanya is rooting for his greatest rival to do something that’s never been done before. On Sunday, Alex Pereira attempts to be the first person to win titles in three UFC divisions when he fights Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event of UFC White House. As a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion, “Poatan” will make history just by stepping into the cage on Sunday, becoming the first person to ever fight for a belt in three weight classes in the UFC, but if he succeeds, it will be a wholly unprecedented accomplishment. And his longtime kickboxing and MMA rival, Israel Adesanya, can’t wait. “This is what the division needed,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Jones is in or out; we don’t know. Aspinall is still recovering from his last fight with Gane. So now, we needed something fresh. And a guy like Alex, who came into the UFC, smoked dudes to fight me, and then beat me, and then from there becoming the light heavyweight champion, and now, never been done before, never been even attempted, this is rare air. “This is a level where you have to just appreciate what this guy’s done. From kickboxing, from his background, his ties to his roots, whether you love him or hate him, you have to really appreciate the magnitude of where this guy’s taking it now.” Pereira and Adesanya are intrinsically linked, thanks to their long rivalry across kickboxing and MMA. Poatan defeated “The Last Stylebender” twice in Glory, and after Adesanya won the UFC middleweight title and started racking up defenses, he, too, transitioned to the UFC. Shortly after that, Pereira challenged Adesanya for the middleweight title, finishing him in the fifth round to move to 3-0 in the rivalry. However, Adesanya brutally knocked out Pereira in their rematch, sending Poatan up to 205 pounds, where he won another title and continued on his budding Hall of Fame career. Some time after that, Adesanya and Pereira squashed their rivalry, and now, as his former foe attempts to make history, Adesanya is completely behind him. “Even if he was fighting Godzilla, I want to see Alex do it,” Adesanya said. “I honestly 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, a four-minute mile. F*ck, I just want to see him do it. “People can think whatever they want, but I know there’s people who don’t understand what it’s like to root for someone you’ve competed against. It’s not about me. This is bigger than me. This is history. This is, like, to see someone achieve this, and you played a part in helping them get there. It’s f*cking cool, man.” And, for what it’s worth, Adesanya believes that will happen. As Pereira has continued to move through MMA as few others have before him, Adesanya thinks that journey will continue. “So, official pick, I’m going Chama by Chama,” Adesanya said. “… I really believe he’s going to get it done. It’s just destiny. This is bigger than anything.” TOP STORIES Recovery. Report: Conor McGregor allegedly used ‘banned drugs’ to heal 2021 leg injury. Respect. Alex Pereira reacts to Israel Adesanya’s losing skid: ‘That can happen to me tomorrow.’ Preparation. Sean O’Malley recounts what it’s like fighting outdoors ahead of UFC White House: ‘You can’t really prepare for it.’ GOAT. Daniel Cormier reveals what he told Alex Pereira when asked if he would be the GOAT after UFC White House. Hospital. Josh Hokit reveals how he found out about UFC White House fight, what he said to Curtis Blaydes at hospital. Quitter. Colby Covington: Khamzat Chimaev exposed as ‘quitter’ in UFC 328 loss to Sean Strickland. PRESIDENT FIGHT! U.S. Presidential MMA Grand Prix: Who is the toughest President? VIDEO STEW UFC White House first look. Anything But Fighting. UFC White House Embedded, ep. 4. Alex Pereira fight camp. Alexander Volkanovski at the White House. Kayla Harrison videoing her comeback. Mike Heck on Submission Radio. SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE History lesson. View Link Dude, let those cars drive. Alex Pereira and Glover Teixeira are training in the middle of traffic in Washington D.C. right now 😂 pic.twitter.com/gVUsWmtF8e — FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) June 12, 2026 Michael Chandler is absolutely shredded. The Standard. #ufcwhitehouse pic.twitter.com/7XudVcIjZQ — Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 11, 2026 Whoops. Joe Rogan claims Trump never got booed at UFC events. Here’s a clip of him saying the complete opposite I know this is true bc I was there at UFC 244 live in the crowd as they booed him out of the arena https://t.co/b67TNbIKZn pic.twitter.com/s0F5u2DJgn — MMA Joey (@MMAJOEYC) June 10, 2026 Still got a spot on your squad, Brazil? Quem disse que o Poatan não é bom de bola? ⚽#UFCWhiteHouse | DOMINGO, 14 de junho, com transmissão a partir de 19h e lutas começando às 21h no @ParamountPlusBR Apresentado por @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/Dt7QQMs9P1 — UFC Brasil (@UFCBrasil) June 11, 2026 Big signing. View this post on Instagram Tony being Tony. “You Don’t Have A Clue” 🎭 Early Morning Shakeout A Success @RAFWrestlingUSA This Saturday RAF 10 🤼‍♂️ Co-Main Event vs Arman Tsarukyan ⚔️🕶️ -CSO- 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 # ♨️ pic.twitter.com/7MhfuMeQab — Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) June 11, 2026 Do it. Can I rock it? Or nah? pic.twitter.com/AscD2MZK87 — Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) June 11, 2026 FEED ME MORE Khamzat and Danis FINAL THOUGHTS Two days. EXIT POLL If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKLee of @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and like us on Facebook.

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Having fought four times across two combat sports, Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya have one of the most interesting rivalries ever. But despite their history, which has “Poatan” up 3-1 over “The Last Stylebender,” Adesanya still wants to see Pereira beat Ciryl Gane at the UFC White House event on Sunday, June 14th. In a […]