‘SCREWED HIS MIND’: ADESANYA GOADED BY HIS OLD FOE PEREIRA
BRAZILIAN Alex Pereira has questioned whether Israel Adesanya really wants to defend his UFC middleweight title inside Madison Square Garden, adamant his KO win over the champ five years ago has “screwed his mind”.
Headlining the UFC 281 press conference in an unbuttoned, leopard print jacket – and no shirt – Pereira was just as loud when it came to addressing his rival about one of the year’s mosthyped blockbusters on Sunday.
Speaking via an interpreter, the UFC newcomer not only goaded Adesanya – “Do you really want to be here?” – but suggested he had already broken the outspoken New Zealander mentally.
Pereira said he would continue to fight – and beat – the UFC fan favourite as many times as was demanded of him by UFC boss Dana White.
Apart from having beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing, the two-division Glory champion has a highlight reel knockout over the Kiwi that has been replayed thousands of times this week.
After switching to the UFC just over a year ago, Pereira has been catapulted into a title fight against his old foe after just three wins.
“And there are a lot of people who think I wasn’t deserving, including Adesanya and his team,” Pereira said.
“Originally when I came into the UFC, he said he wanted to fight me.
“But as soon as I started to fight people, they changed the narrative, they spun things around, started to run around and said ‘maybe I don’t want to face him again’. I think I screwed his mind a bit. I think he’s a bit unbalanced psychologically on this one.”
Adesanya suggested it was Pereira who should be thanking him for getting a title shot in just his fourth Octagon appearance.
“I’ve pretty much cleaned out the division and now I’m lapping it again. So I cleared the way,” the champ said. “He should be grateful. He wouldn’t be here without me.
“My run to the title was a lot more impressive than what he’s done.”
Adesanya also praised a crew of roughly 40 Kiwis that comprise his team for a New York fight card that also includes countrymen Dan Hooker, Brad Riddell and Carlos Ulberg.
“We’ve got myself, Dan, Brad and Carlos fighting,” he said.
“But behind us is a whole army … and behind (that) is a whole nation, a whole spirit, a whole mana. And you can’t f… with that. Trust me, you can’t.”