Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira are scheduled to face each other once again at UFC 287 this weekend for the middleweight title. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is determined to recover his title after a surprising last-round loss to the Brazilian at UFC 281 in November. Adesanya hopes to avenge his losses to ‘Poatan’ and has raised concerns about his opponent potentially bending some rules going into the fight.
Adesanya’s Concerns and USADA Monitoring
In a cryptic tweet, Adesanya called for the USADA to closely monitor every fighter from weigh-in until they enter the octagon on the day of the fight, suggesting that officials take shifts if necessary to avoid any loopholes. This may be an allusion to the potential use of IV, which is banned if the administered quantity exceeds 100 milliliters within a 12-hour period. Similar allegations were made by Dan Hooker against Islam Makhachev after Makhachev’s UFC 284 win over Alexander Volkanovski.
The ban on IV aims to prevent fighters from becoming ‘weight bullies’ by quickly rehydrating themselves after a weight cut. Adesanya believes constant monitoring by USADA is essential to ensure fair competition.
Alex Pereira’s Thoughts on the UFC 287 Rematch
Alex Pereira has already achieved two victories over Israel Adesanya under the GLORY kickboxing banner, including a knockout in 2017. While Adesanya managed to build his own legacy in MMA despite those losses, Pereira claimed the UFC middleweight title last November, appearing to be Adesanya’s kryptonite.
Pereira believes it wasn’t wise for Adesanya to seek an immediate rematch, given his 3-0 record against him. During the UFC 287 media day, the Brazilian remarked that if Adesanya were on his team, he would advise him to take one or two fights before attempting a rematch. However, the former UFC champion has decided to go ahead with the rematch, aiming to settle the score once and for all.
