Apr 8, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Israel Adesanya (blue gloves) before the fight against Alex Pereira (red gloves) during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Israel Adesanya Has A Proud Brother Like Reaction To Alex Pereira’s UFC 320 Win!

Apr 8, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Israel Adesanya (blue gloves) before the fight against Alex Pereira (red gloves) during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Rivalries in combat sports usually end with bitter feelings and grudges that last forever. Fighters who have traded knockouts rarely become friends, let alone supporters of each other’s careers. The relationship between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya breaks that mold completely. These two have fought four times across kickboxing and MMA, with Pereira winning three of those battles. Yet when Pereira reclaimed his light heavyweight title at UFC 320, nobody cheered louder than Adesanya.

Israel Adesanya had a proud brother-like reaction to Alex Pereira’s UFC 320 win over Magomed Ankalaev, and it caught everyone off guard. The former middleweight champion watched the fight live on his YouTube channel, and his excitement was absolutely genuine. Fans could hear the emotion in his voice as Pereira pressured Ankalaev from the opening bell. Adesanya wasn’t rooting against Pereira, he was rooting for him!

Israel Adesanya Knew Pereira Was In The Zone

Israel Adesanya’s commentary during the fight felt like watching with a knowledgeable friend who knows both fighters inside out. He noticed everything: the pressure Pereira applied, the way Ankalaev backed up behind the line, and most importantly, the look in Pereira’s eyes. Adesanya kept repeating “he’s on” as he watched his former rival hunt down the champion. That’s high praise coming from someone who’s fought Pereira and felt his power firsthand. Adesanya saw the focus and determination that meant trouble for Ankalaev.

When Pereira dropped Ankalaev and moved in for ground and pound, Adesanya lost his cool entirely. He yelled for Pereira to finish it, his voice rising with excitement as the referee stopped the fight.

“Look at him behind the black line. Oh! He got him where he wanted. He’s not f**king around, holy s**t…Look at him, look, he’s on, he’s on. I know it, I see the eyes, look at the eyes. He’s going. He has to go orthodox. Bro, he’s on.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Israel Adesanya (@stylebender)

After the knockout, Adesanya simply said “Chama,” Pereira’s catchphrase, with obvious respect. The 38 year old Brazilian had just reclaimed his title against an opponent who hadn’t lost in 14 straight fights. Adesanya recognized greatness when he saw it, even from a guy who knocked him out in twice. That takes a special kind of character and self awareness!

Pereira even posted Adesaya’s reaction to his KO victory at UFC 320 in his Instagram story. This shows how much these two have grown. From fierce rivals to now close allies, these two legends have shown that the violence and rivalry in the octagon doesn’t need to spill outside of it.

From Rivals To Mutual Respect

The history between these two makes Adesanya’s reaction even more remarkable. Adesanya was the last person to beat Pereira before Ankalaev’s brief reign began. Their rivalry started in kickboxing and carried over to MMA, with Adesanya winning by knockout in their final UFC battle. That loss cost Pereira his middleweight title.

Interestingly, Adesanya won his undisputed UFC title exactly six years ago by knocking out Robert Whittaker in front of 57,000 fans in Melbourne. He knows what championship glory feels like and appreciates the work it takes to reclaim that gold. Watching Pereira do it at 38 years old probably reminded Adesanya why he respects the Brazilian so much.

Pereira didn’t arrive in the UFC until two years after Adesanya’s title win, but he’s made up for lost time. Their connection goes beyond wins and losses now. It’s about two elite strikers who pushed each other to greatness!

(Image Credit: Rich Storry – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya

UFC 320

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!