Alex Pereira is the only person in the world who’s managed to knock out Israel Adesanya. Admittedly, he didn’t do it in MMA but kickboxing. This Saturday at UFC 281, the two lock horns in an MMA fight. The bout in question comes with so much jeopardy.
It’s a title fight in the UFC Middleweight division. That’s the weight class in which Izzy has nothing but wins. Will Pereira be the one to change that? Let’s see!
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Odds
Moneyline
| Israel Adesanya | -188 |
| Alex Pereira | +146 |
*Odds taken from FanDuel on Monday, November 7.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Maddison Square Garden in New York City, NY
- Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022
- How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass
Israel Adesanya Working His Way Toward Middleweight GOAT Status
Izzy is one of the best fighters ever to compete in the UFC Middleweight division. He’s been the divisional champion since 2019, defending the championship belt on five occasions.
His overall MMA record is 23-1 with 15 wins by knockout and eight by decision. Izzy’s only MMA defeat happened in March 2021 in a fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight title – Jan Blachowicz beat him by unanimous decision.
The fact that he has no submission wins doesn’t mean that he’s not a good grappler/wrestler. On the contrary, he’s got plenty of weapons in his arsenal and is extremely good at takedown defense.
Still, he probably won’t have to use his wrestling/grappling skills too much on Saturday as he’s locking horns with another great kickboxer.
Alex Pereira Might be the Hardest Striker in the Division
Kickboxing is his thing, while he’s not too much of a fan of MMA. Nevertheless, Pereira’s record in pro MMA is really impressive. After losing on his debut, he went on to win the next six fights. He won five of those by knockout/technical knockout.
This guy knows how to strike and kick, while he’s also very good on the floor. In fact, he’s turned himself into a real mixed martial artist who’s great in all aspects of fighting. Of course, he didn’t do that by himself. Pereira had a great tutor to lead the transformation.
What we’re talking about is that one of his coaches is Glover Teixeira, the former UFC Light Heavyweight champ who’s considered one of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the promotion.
Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Prediction
This is going to be one hell of a fight. Both fighters are incredible striking-wise, while also having a strong chin. This means that we’re probably going to see a real fistfight on Saturday evening. But who’s going to triumph?
Oddsmakers think it’s gonna be Izzy, who’s priced at -188. We, however, think an upset is going to happen in the UFC 281 headliner. We think Pereira will knock Izzy out.
Picks: Alex Pereira to win by knockout/technical knockout