Better Collective A/S,
Sankt Annæ Plads 28, 1250 Kobenhavn K,
Denmark (DK)
Phone: +45-29919965
Email: [email protected]
CVR/Org.nr: 27652913
18+ | Wagering and T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly | Commercial content | Advertising disclosure
We’re back with more UFC action as the defending Middleweight champ Israel Adesanya takes on 4th-ranked contender Alex Pereira this Saturday night at UFC 281. These two fighters already met back in their kickboxing days with Pereira winning both bouts, but the bookmakers have listed Adesanya as the favourite to win this one. Will the Stylebender make his 6th successful title defence or will we see a new Middleweight division champion?
In this article:
Sat, Nov 12th (TBD)
With 23 wins and a single loss in his entire MMA career, Israel Adesanya’s name is definitely in the hat among the great fighters to step into the octagon. Having successfully made 5 title defences in the division against top competition, Stylebender is looking to continue his winning streak against a very familiar opponent. His only loss in the sport has come against the former Light-heavyweight champion Yan Blachowicz a year and a half ago when he attempted to move up a weight class and make himself the double-champ.
In terms of fighting style, Adesanya is right up there with the most elite strikers in the sport. A former kickboxer, he uses his height and 203-centimetre reach to keep his opponents at a distance and work from outside. His kicks are accurate and his hands are dangerous, landing 3.93 strikes per minute. 15 of his 23 career wins have come via KO/TKO, and he managed to put away some big names like Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson.
The challenger, Alex Pereira is a 35-year-old former kickboxing elite out of Brazil. He only started training at 23, and despite a lot of setbacks, he successfully managed to reach the top tier of the sport. He decided to make a transition into MMA a few years ago, and this will only be his 4th fight in the UFC. He is coming off an impressive KO win over Sean Strickland, and he will now be facing an opponent he already beat twice.
Alex Pereira is also an elite striker, landing 6.25 strikes per minute. He is also very tall at 193 cm with a 200 cm reach, allowing him to land a lot of shots from a safe distance. Of his 6 MMA victories, 5 have come via KO/TKO. He doesn’t have a lot of experience in the sport, but considering the fighting style of his opponent, this shouldn’t be much of an issue.
So let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Alex Pereira beat Israel Adesanya twice in their kickboxing days. You can argue that Izzy should have won the first encounter, but the second was a clean left hook KO. So what does this mean? For one, it should give the challenger a huge confidence boost heading into the fight, and quite the opposite for the champ. Pereira enters each exchange knowing he can put away his opponent. Adesanya enters each exchange thinking whether that will happen again.
That said, let’s see what the bookmakers have to say. The champ is available at 1.57 odds to take the win, whilst the challenger is valued at 2.65. According to Unibet, 75% of punters are backing Adesnaya to win.
Truth be told, I see a lot of value in backing Pereira for this one. Yes, Adesanya has been terrific in the Middleweight division, but this underdog is looking hungry! Izzy isn’t an offensive wrestler, and it’s hard to imagine him getting Alex on the ground and keeping him there. Pereira is huge for the division and I can easily see this one being another kickboxing match.
That said, this is where I give Alex the edge. He only stopped kickboxing about a year ago, and he has a lot of power in his hands. He throws more strikes and is generally a lot more aggressive in the cage. Meanwhile, Adesanya has become more and more passive in his recent fights, and as the favourite, it’s hard to find any value in backing him.
Odds as at 2:00 am on November 8th, 2022. Odds may now differ.
More Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira Tips