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Is this the best year of mixed martial arts action ever? First, Jon Jones steps back into the Octagon for the first time in three years and knocks out Cyril Gane to claim the heavyweight title. Then Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman fight out an exciting rematch in front of a British crowd. And now, Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya will collide for the fourth time professionally in what is a rematch of last year’s UFC Middleweight Championship fight. Buckle in UFC fans because this one’s going to be good.
Just five months ago, the seemingly unstoppable put his UFC Middleweight Championship belt on the line against his old rival, Alex Pereira. An upset victory to Pereira meant an immediate rematch was called – the fruit of which we will see on an upcoming evening. Can Pereira make it four from four against Adesanya? Or will the Last Stylebender finally overcome his Brazilian kryptonite and defeat his nemesis, Pereira? Read on to find out in this Pereira vs. Adesanya II betting preview.
| Event: | UFC 287 Main Event, for UFC Middleweight Championship |
| Venue: | Miami-Dade Arena, Miami, Florida, United States |
| Date: | Saturday April 8th, 2023 |
| Time: | From 6:00 PM EST |
This will be the fourth meeting between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. Prior to entering the mixed martial arts world, the two met in the kickboxing ring twice. Pereira won both bouts, the first by decision in 2016 and the second by third-round knockout in 2017. For both fighters, their most recent fight was also their last meeting with each other, which happened in 2022. This fight ended in Pereira knocking out Adesanya in the fifth round, despite being dominated for most of the clash.
Think you know how this one is going to end? Here’s a look at the Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 odds so you can jump straight in and do some online MMA betting:
No, that’s not a typo. Even though Alex Pereira has defeated Israel Adesanya three times in the past seven years, he’s still the underdog heading into this clash. The defending UFC Middleweight Champion, Pereira, is sitting at odds of 2.10 (11/10) to win, while the challenger and former champion, Adesanya, is at 1.73 (8/11).
Live bettingEsports offersCash outLive bettingVirtual sportsCash outGreat welcome offeLive betting20+ sportsInstant deposits24/7 supportGreat bonus offersSign up offersMobile appsCash outTo say that Brazil’s Alex Pereira is in good form would be an understatement. The man has yet to lose a mixed martial arts fight and is undefeated in the UFC across four fights. Admittedly, he only made his UFC debut in 2021, but with big names like Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya under his belt, Pereira has carried his fearsome kickboxing reputation straight into the Octagon.
There’s plenty that Alex Pereira is good at, but when it comes to advantages over Adesanya, it comes down to power and confidence. In two of their previous fights, Pereira has been behind on the scorecards and ultimately getting dominated by Adesanya – but it’s just taken one strike to shift the match, leading to a Pereira knockout win. The Brazilian will always have this up his sleeve. Combine that with the psychological edge that comes from having beaten the same man three times previously, and Pereira will step out on Saturday night believing he can win.
Rewind the clock a little over two years, and Israel Adesanya was also undefeated in mixed martial arts. He had stormed to the UFC Middleweight Championship and was utterly dominating the division. However, a step up to light heavyweight saw Adesanya pick up his first UFC defeat to Jan Blachowicz, which was then paired with another loss to Pereira in November 2022. Right now, Adesanya is in a precarious position – lose one more time, and he risks his reputation being ruined.
Essentially, everything else, other than sheer power and confidence. Adesanya is the more well-rounded fighter, has the better grappling game, and has more experience in mixed martial arts. He also comes from a kickboxing background, so he knows how to go toe to toe with Pereira. The fact that he has dominated Pereira for large chunks of the time they’ve spent in the ring together is a testament to his skill set. It’s just about not getting caught out by the Brazilian’s power, which has been Adesanya’s downfall in the past.
OK, enough back story. You’ve heard the history between these two men and what they’ll bring into the ring. Time to look at how we believe this one will pan out. Here are our Pereira vs. Adesanya II predictions and UFC 287 betting tips, as well as some high-odds UFC wagers to consider:
These men have fought three times before. Once, the fight has gone the distance, and twice, it has ended in the third and fifth rounds. Our Pereira vs. Adesanya II predictions have to consider the historical data given that there is such a track record between these two, and looking purely at the stats, this one will be 3.5+ rounds.
Logically as well, there are two likely ways this fight pans out. Either Pereira bides his time and waits for an opening in Adesanya’s defenses before landing a knockout blow. Or, Adesanya keeps Pereira at arm’s length and plays for the points victory. Both of these outcomes go beyond 3.5 rounds, making this a great bet to take.
Of the options above, we say that Adesanya is most likely fighting out a decision victory. Twice he’s made mistakes and been caught off guard in a fight that he was winning against Pereira. With odds at 2.75 (7/4), Nigeria bookies will surely see the splash of bets on their flagship fighter.
For such a skilled fighter who has been so dominant in the UFC, it’s highly unlikely he’ll make the same mistake a third time. He simply has too many tools and will likely be ultra-cautious, picking up points through well-placed strikes and avoiding Pereira’s power.
However, there is a chance this fight could go in another direction entirely. Adesanya’s main strength is his excellent kickboxing, which has worked incredibly well against all other opponents. The trouble is, he’s lost to Pereira three times kickboxing him. Perhaps the Last Stylebender will adopt a completely different approach in this fight and look to compete much more heavily on the mat.
Could we see Adesanya’s first submission win in the UFC on Saturday night? It’s less likely, but there’s a strong argument to be made for why Adesanya should turn this into a grappling match. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Will Adesanya indulge in insanity this weekend or make a change finally?
A rich year of mixed martial arts action continues in 2023, with Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya writing the fourth chapter in their head-to-head rivalry. Pereira has the better of Adesanya on paper, but it feels as though the Nigerian-Kiwi will be wise to his mistakes from the past and finally get one back over his arch-nemesis in UFC 287. Tune in on Saturday night to find out, and get those bets in if you share our UFC predictions to come true and deliver goods.
