Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
For nearly half a decade, Israel Adesanya had no peer in the middleweight division. Adesanya emerged victorious in his first nine bouts in the UFC. From February 2018 to July of last summer, he racked up a dozen straight wins in the division, including five successful title defenses. There were fighters, like Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori, who he defeated on two separate occasions during that stretch.
Whittaker’s losses were especially noteworthy, as it looked like he was the most elite fighter in the division, with one clear exception: Adesanya.
Up until last summer, when he defeated Jared Cannonier, it appeared there was no real threat to Adesanya’s ongoing reign as champ. But winter was coming.
That became apparent, swiftly and suddenly, when Adesanya defended the belt last November at Madison Square Garden against longtime kickboxing foe Alex Pereira. Widely unknown in MMA, Pereira transitioned from kickboxer to full-time mixed martial artist, winning three fights in a row leading up to his bout against Adesanya. And just as he did twice in kickboxing, Pereira again beat Adesanya, this time at MSG, taking the middleweight throne at the world’s most famous arena and dropping Adesanya to an altogether place.
“The shoe is on the other foot,” says Pereira, speaking through a translator. “I’m not a good matchup for him.”
Entering UFC 287, where Pereira will make his first defense of the belt, the roles have clearly reversed for Adesanya. Instead of nearly lapping the middleweight division, he is now the challenger, seeking to reclaim what is no longer his.
“This is no different from the guys who tried many times to beat Israel but couldn’t,” says Pereira (7–1). “As soon as I was fighting Israel Adesanya, I knew I was going to be UFC champion. And I’m going to beat Israel again.”
Pereira is a difficult matchup for Adesanya (23–2). Dangerous on the feet, Pereira stalked Adesanya for the overwhelming majority of their bout in November before winning by TKO in the fifth round. He crowded Adesanya, limiting his mobility and preventing any damaging takedowns that could expose his lack of wrestling.
Even for the staunchest Adesanya defenders, the thought of another bout against Pereira is sobering. Yet, for all the sudden doubt and role reversal, this is still Israel Adesanya, the man who won 23 of his first 25 bouts. He remains one of the best in the world, and he enters this fight with a rare type of hunger that has not existed in a long time.
“People have goldfish memories, and they’ve forgot what I’ve brought to this game,” says Adesanya. “I made it look easy for a long time. This is my chance to remind people and show them how great I am.”
Adesanya knows the meaning of grit. Though his journey in MMA was nearly flawless, he is a well-seasoned fighter who understands the bitter taste of defeat.
He also possesses intimate knowledge of turning a negative into a positive, transforming an opponent’s strength into a weakness. He has not been able to do that against Pereira. At least not yet.
After making an incredibly different sport look easy, Adesanya is in a new spot. He is drawing back on the extraordinary amount of work to climb the heights he reached, and he has dedicated himself since November to avenging this loss.
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Pereira has proven to be the opponent Adesanya needs to attain a whole new level of greatness.
Defeat allows us to take a glimpse into the soul of a fighter. Undaunted by the past, Adesanya plans to show his truest fighting spirit in the Octagon on Saturday.
“I know who I am,” says Adesanya. “You won’t see me crack. And they still call me ‘Champ.’ That’s not going to change.”
Pereira has stayed hungry, too, which is hard to do as champ. After finally attaining far more visibility and respect, which he longed for in kickboxing, this is not a title he plans to hand over.
Part of Pereira’s training was spent with MMA legend Chuck Liddell, who spent time working on takedown defense.
“I hold him on such a high level of respect,” says Pereira. “Chuck taught me a few things. The whole time with him inspired me.”
Despite his penchant for having fun at Adesanya’s expense, Pereira comprehends—even better than most—the true brilliance of his opponent. That is why he relishes playing mind games with Adesanya, attempting to occupy headspace of the former champ.
“I respect Israel Adesanya,” says Pereira. “I joke and post, but it’s the same thing he did with every other opponent before me. Israel gets offended, but this is what he would do. I’m not doing anything different.
“And this time, it’s going to be a similar fight. I had a broken finger before the last fight. I don’t this time. It’s going to be the same as last time. The only change could be if I’m beating him up too much, and Israel tries to wrestle out of desperation.”
Adesanya is looking to restore order in the UFC’s middleweight division. For that to occur, he will have to accomplish a feat that has eluded him—he will need to finally overcome Pereira.
“I like being an underdog,” says Adesanya. “After going through what we’ve been through, I actually feel it. I know I can do this. And for those who believe in me, I can’t wait to prove them right.”
Gilbert Burns could give a damaging loss to Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal enjoyed an incredible hot streak in 2019, winning three fights—two of which were career-defining—from March to November.
He defeated Darren Till in March, then created the most visible part of his highlight reel when he knocked out Ben Askren. Masvidal’s flying knee accounted for the fastest knockout in UFC history, and the win brought him to new heights.
He followed up that with a win against Nate Diaz at MSG, where he was awarded the ceremonial BMF title by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
But for every rise, there is a fall. Masvidal has not won since 2019, losing his past three bouts. He did face top-tier fighters in Kamaru Usman, who beat him twice, and Colby Covington, but regardless, he is now one loss away from a dreaded four-fight losing streak. Approaching his UFC 287 bout against Gilbert Burns, that is a serious concern.
If Masvidal (35–16) can bring this fight to the ground, it will certainly work in his favor. But he needs to engage in an all-out slugfest against Burns (21–5), who remains one of the most underrated fighters in the welterweight division.
Plenty is at stake. If Burns wins, he should be right at the top of contenders for reigning champ Leon Edwards. And if Masvidal can end his losing streak, then he has a tailor-made backstory with Edwards. This is a very compelling bout, one that belongs in the co-main event of UFC 287.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
