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By Peter Akinbo.
A rematch between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira for the UFC middleweight belt has been officially announced for April 8, but former champion Daniel Cormier has expressed his concerns about the timing of the bout.
Adesanya had been dominant in the middleweight division until Pereira’s arrival. The two warriors faced off in a mixed martial arts match, which marked their first MMA encounter but the third overall including their kickboxing battles.
Despite Adesanya leading the match entering the fifth round, Pereira knew that only a finish could secure their victory, as they proclaimed before the final round. With bravery and determination, Pereira entered the fifth round and defeated Adesanya by technical knockout, becoming the new middleweight champion.
However, Cormier is concerned that the Nigerian-born New Zealander may have accepted the rematch too soon.
“Two factors. Why is it happening now? And for what reason is it happening?” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
“One; Obviously we all knew that it would be at Israel Adesanya’s decision or discretion whether or not he would get a championship fight. From the moment he lost, I was saying and screaming from the rooftops, ‘If anyone deserves an immediate rematch, it’s Israel Adesanya.’ “Because of what he had done in the middleweight division, and honestly what he had done to start his UFC and mixed martial arts career.
“He deserves a rematch and honestly, for Alex Pereira, it would seem to be the best matchup for him in terms of a first title defence,” he said.
Cormier thinks that perhaps Adesanya is worried that if he waits too long, the Brazilian would fight someone else and lose before he gets a chance to face him in the Octagon.
“Maybe he’s worried that if Pereira fights someone else, he loses. Izzy still holds a ton of cards, but I just questioned whether or not the decisions being made are based on this newfound push that Alex has been experiencing,” Cormier explained.
Regardless of Cormier’s thoughts, it is undeniable that Adesanya deserves a rematch against Pereira, given his previous achievements. The two warriors will face off once again at UFC 287, marking their fourth encounter in total.
