Israel Adesanya knows how to build up his fights. In perhaps his biggest fight to date, Middleweight champion Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) meets former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the main event of UFC 281 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden. Adesanya will look to avenge his two losses to Pereira in kickboxing , where he was knocked out in the rematch. “Poatan” has had a fast rise in MMA and earned a title shot by knocking out Sean Strickland with his patented left hook at UFC 276 – on the same night Adesanya retained his title against Jared Cannonier. Many view Pereira as the boogeyman for Adesanya, but “The Last Stylebender” welcomes all the doubters and critics.
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