Israel Adesanya reveals his brutal taunt to Alex Pereira just before the start of their UFC 287 fight – but there’s one tactical trick the world champion had CENSORED from tell-all video
- Adesanya told Pereira: ‘I’m going to knock you out’
- Champ refused to touch gloves to ‘lead the dance’
- Adesanya was ordered to hit Pereira’s wrist
Israel Adesanya has revealed the relentless taunt he directed at Alex Pereira in the Octagon before reclaiming the middleweight crown – and how he knew he was setting the tone for the fight ‘from the start’.
Adesanya, 33, finally got revenge on Pereira at UFC 287 with a stunning second-round knockout victory to dispel three soul-shattering defeats from his hard-hitting arch-rival.
The fight was personal for ‘The Last Stylebender’ and arguably the most important win of his career.
The new middleweight king rewatched the fight Wednesday, explaining exactly what happened at the Octagon in Miami and how he set up the knockout — but there was one aspect of the fight he didn’t want his fans to hear.
“He wanted to touch gloves. I felt it. If I held out my hand, he would have touched gloves. But he was waiting for me. I led the dance from the beginning,” explains Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya has revealed the relentless taunt he directed at Alex Pereira before knocking him out in possibly the biggest win of his career
The fight was personal to The Last Stylebender and arguably the most important win of his career
Moments before the fight started, Adesanya could glare at Pereira and mumble something in his direction.
“Guess what I said there?” said Adesanya.
“I’m going to knock you out. I’m going to knock you out. My teeth didn’t come apart.’
Adesanya then watched the fight and explained how he was instructed by a coach to hit his opponent’s wrist when he came out for the second round.
When the world champion was asked by someone off-camera why he was aiming for that part of Pereira’s body, he shielded his mouth to explain and his answer was squeaked out.
He then went on to describe how he “lured” the Brazilian into attacking him while his back was against the cage by appearing vulnerable and weak.
But Adesanya says he knew what he was doing all along.
“He felt so comfortable. I wanted him to feel comfortable. Like throwing a reckless abandonment,” he said.
The middleweight king described how he ‘lured’ the Brazilian into charging him into the cage by appearing vulnerable and weak
The title win takes Adesanya’s MMA record to 24-2 and makes him the first two-time UFC middleweight champion in history – something not even Anderson Silva could do
“He now thinks I’m a punching bag.
“I’m not those other guys he’s fighting, mate.”
Adesanya couldn’t help but be in awe of the crushing right hand that knocked out Pereira’s lights midway through the second round.
“Boom,” he said.
“I also came off the fence. I bounced off the fence.
“That was the ax from heaven.”
The title win takes Adesanya’s MMA record to 24-2 and makes him the first two-time UFC middleweight champion in history – something not even Anderson Silva could do.