Israel Adesanya has vowed not to "waste energy' in the build-up to his UFC title clash - as Conor McGregor did against rival Khabib Nurmagomedov.
'The Last Stylebender' will face one of the sternest challenges of his UFC middleweight reign when he takes on Brazilian KO artist Periera at UFC 281 this weekend. The build up to the event has been gripping given the pair's fiery rivalry which stems from their two kickboxing clashes, which the Nigerian lost by decision and then by stoppage in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Adesanya has frequently vowed to stop his opponent in the same way he was stopped during their kickboxing days, and has traded verbal barbs with Pereira as the fight draws closer. However the 33-year-old has vowed to move on from his previous losses and focus on adopting his style in the fight.