We got the news this past week that Israel Adesanya has his next title defense lined up – and it’ll be against what might best be described as his arch nemesis.
Middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) will put his title on the line in November at Madison Square Garden against Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who holds two kickboxing wins over him. They’ll headline UFC 281 in New York.
The fight still is three months out, but there will be plenty of buzz for it in the buildup. Pereira’s two wins over Adesanya came in a different discipline – but it’s still one that they both traffic in during their MMA fights.