Alex Pereira doubts Israel Adesanya has forgotten about what happened in their previous outing at Glory of Heroes 7 over five years ago.
Pereira defeated Adesanya by third-round KO. It was the first—and only—time the ‘Last Stylebender’ has been finished in his combat sports career. Ahead of their UFC 281 title fight, video of the KO went viral. Adesanya noted that he’s seen it again now, several times, but to hear him tell it, he’s accepted the outcome and moved on. Pereira isn’t so sure, however, that his former foe has really let the KO go.
“It’s still there, for sure,” said Pereira through a translator at UFC 281 media day (video provided by MMA Fighting).