NEW YORK â Just because Alex Pereira is up to 3-0 in the lifetime series doesnât mean a fourth Israel Adesanya fight is out of the question.
According to UFC president Dana White, itâs possible the promotion runs the fight back with an immediate MMA rematch after UFC 281. He praised Adesanyaâs willingness to compete and indirectly pointed to it as a reason for potential reward.
â(Adesanya) wanted this fight,â White told reporters and MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference at Madison Square Garden. âA lot of people talk publicly and itâs a whole different story behind the scenes. That guy is an absolute stud. He always wants to stay active.
âIn a fight that most guys would stall, âGive me more time. Give me this, that,â he dove right into this fight. His only loss was when he tried to move up in weight to 205. Youâve got to respect him as champ and what heâs done. ⦠I wouldnât rule (an immediate rematch) out.â
Pereira (7-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated Adesanya for the third time in their combat sports careers when he stopped the then-champion by fifth-round TKO. The loss was Adesanyaâs first at middleweight and his first stoppage defeat.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieâs event hub for UFC 281.