Former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Israel Adesanya is openly supporting Alex Pereira’s ambitious pursuit of becoming a three-division UFC champion. Pereira is set to make his heavyweight debut on June 14 at UFC Freedom 250 against Ciryl Gane, with the interim heavyweight title on the line.
Should Pereira succeed, he would etch his name in history as the first UFC fighter to hold championship belts across three different weight classes. This potential achievement has garnered backing from his former rival, Adesanya. Despite their past competitive history, Adesanya and Pereira have developed a strong bond of mutual respect and often show support for each other.
Adesanya recently lauded Pereira, stating, “I want to see Alex do it [win the third UFC belt]. I honestly think itโs going to be good for the sport. Itโs going to be great for him to achieve something thatโs never even been attempted. Itโs like seeing the first person climb Everest a four-minute mile. F*ck I just wanna see him do itโฆ People donโt understand what itโs like to root for someone youโve competed against. Itโs not about me, itโs bigger than me. This is history, To see someone achieve this, and you played a part in helping them get there. Itโs f*cking cool, manโฆ The official pick. Iโm going chama by chama.”
Meanwhile, Alex Pereira also recently commented on Adesanya’s recent career struggles. While Adesanya is on a four-fight losing streak, Pereira expressed understanding and respect for his former opponent’s career.
Pereira stated, “The guy had a brilliant career. That can happen to anybody. I just signed [for] eight fights; that can happen to me tomorrowโฆ I can start losing. Those things can happen. The guy had great moments, a great career, and great success, and he has my respect.”
