Israel Adesanya has been a force to reckon with ever since making his UFC debut in 2018. The Last Stylebender won the middleweight title in 2019 and went on to defend the belt six times before losing to his arch-nemesis Alex Pereira last year at UFC 281. Poatan seemed to be the one who could stop Izzy’s reign to the top.
However, that wasn’t the case as Adesanya brutally reclaimed his middleweight belt by knocking out Pereira in the second round in their rematch at UFC 287. Following this win and Alex Pereira moving up to 205, there aren’t a lot of contenders who can pose a threat to the middleweight champion. Because he has defeated every single fighter in the top five and is on course to lap the division.
Consequently, many fans and analysts believe that Izzy has no dangerous challengers in the 185-pound division. However, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping disagrees with the opinions of the masses as he firmly believes that Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis are difficult opponents for Israel Adesanya. While speaking in his latest video on his YouTube channel, The Count explained who will be the best opponent among Whittaker, Du Plessis, and Alex Pereira.
“The high stakes, the drama, the pressure, the storyline, and now they finish each other in the UFC. I mean come on take my money. All Pereira has to do is continue making noise. Izzy is not ducking anyone. He wants to fight Dricus Du Plessis because he said some things that offended him. So it’s personal. But there is unsettled business, there’s unfinished business. Them two have to have a third fight inside the UFC.”
@brownjackquarterback Israel Adesanya wants Dricus Du Plessis for causing “Divide” #israeladesanya #nigeria #southafrica #ufc #mma #fyp
Should the UFC book the Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira trilogy fight next?
Fans have been demanding the UFC book a trilogy bout between Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira as soon as the rematch got over. Everyone including many top fighters was surprised that Poatan decided to move up to the light heavyweight division. However, there’s still time for the UFC to get it right and book this matchup.
Because both the middleweights have an epic storyline and with the scores tied 1-1 in MMA, millions of fans are intrigued as to who will come out on top in this rivalry. Letting Alex Pereira compete in the 205-pound division is a risky move as a loss could lead to a decline in the interest amongst fans for a trilogy bout.
Besides, Alex Pereira wants a trilogy fight as he recently asked the promotion to schedule a middleweight title bout against Izzy. However, it seems highly unlikely that the third fight will take place this year as UFC President Dana White has shown no interest in the matchup.
