Lakers versus Celtics. Yankees versus Red Sox. Federer versus Nadal versus Djokovic.
Nowhere do rivalries flourish and resonate more than in combat sports, where icons across every generation have one, two, or perhaps even three names they are forever connected to thanks to a classic battle or a series of fights strung out over a handful of years.
Ali-Frazier. Tyson-Holyfield. Gatti-Ward.
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Even if you’re not a boxing fan, you know a little something about those battles — what they meant at the time, what transpired, and why they continue to carry weight all these years later.
The UFC has been home to a handful of quality rivalries over the years — Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell; BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre; Michael Bisping and every single person that ever signed up to fight him; Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz.
This weekend, a rivalry that began in the kickboxing ring finally crosses over to the Octagon, as Alex Pereira squares off with Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 281 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
“This is the fight everybody wanted to see, and now they got the fight,” Pereira said on Tuesday, two days removed from the anniversary of his UFC debut and four days out from challenging Adesanya for championship gold. “Saturday is just time to go, do my thing, and get the belt.”
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From the moment he signed with the promotion, getting Pereira in the Octagon opposite Adesanya is all anyone wanted to see.
Part of it is because the champion has been dominant, yet disappointing in the eyes of his harshest critics — going from a fighter that earned impressive finishes and won thrilling battles on his journey to becoming the undisputed middleweight champion to someone that has logged unanimous decision victories that left many fans wanting more in four of his five successful title defenses.
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A bigger part of it is that the last time they fought, Pereira knocked Adesanya out cold.
The Brazilian won their initial encounter in April 2016 by unanimous decision, but when they met for a second time 11 months later, Pereira rallied to score a third-round knockout victory, felling Adesanya with a powerful left hand. It’s the lone time “The Last Stylebender” has been knocked out in his entire combat sports career.
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“What made me want this fight is the belt,” Pereira said when asked why he’s been laser focused on standing across the cage from Adesanya since first touching down on the biggest stage in the sport. “It’s not personal; I just want to have the belt.
“On my end? No,” he answered when asked if there was any bad blood between the two heading into Saturday’s contest. “Maybe he does — he’s the one that lost twice. Why am I going to be mad at him?”
While he has no beef with the middleweight champion, Pereira does put value into those two prior meetings, just as he sees previous trips to Madison Square Garden as beneficial to helping him settle in and simply handle his business this weekend in “The City That Never Sleeps.”
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“Absolutely it makes a difference,” the challenger said when asked about the impact of their twin kickboxing engagements. “At the same time, not so much that I’m going to get in the cage, cross my arms, and he’s going to fall unconscious. I’ve got to stay grounded, get out there, and do my thing.
“(As for fighting here, on this card), it doesn’t make any difference,” he added. “I’m a seasoned fighter. I fought here in my UFC debut, I fought here before for Glory, so I feel right at home.”
If you’re looking for further proof that this is a highly anticipated matchup that was penciled in as a possibility and ideal pairing to have come together, look no further than the fact that the Brazilian challenger only made his promotional debut 53 weeks ago.
Arriving with a 3-1 mixed martial arts record and nearly a year removed from his last appearance under the LFA banner, Pereira made the walk for the first time at UFC 268, securing a second-round knockout win over Andreas Michailidis to begin his march towards a third clash with Adesanya.
A more grueling win over fellow Brazilian Bruno Silva followed in March, allowing Pereira to continue moving forward in the division, but raising a few questions about his ability to compete with those in the upper echelon of the weight class.
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Those questions were answered — at least in part — when he stepped in with Sean Strickland in July at UFC 276 and knocked out the streaking middleweight veteran in just over two-and-a-half minutes.
Two fights later, Adesanya won a unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier to retain his title, calling out Pereira in his post-fight interview and setting the wheels in motion to make this weekend’s main event dream a reality.
“It’s been a perfect year,” Pereira said when asked about his rookie campaign inside the UFC cage. “Three wins and a chance to fight for the title; you can’t ask for anything else.”
For the 35-year-old Brazilian challenger, it really is all about the title, and what winning the belt could help him do for his people.
“Being champion would mean a lot because I think I have a good life story,” began Pereira, a member of the indigenous peoples of Brazil and another example of someone who overcame the myriad challenges faced by many in the South American nation to find his calling, chase his dreams, have success, and look to give back to his community. “I’m able to motivate people due to everything that I’ve been through.
“Winning this belt is a tool to help me showcase my story and help more people.”
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And while he can’t say how he will accomplish his latest goal this weekend, Pereira most certainly sees himself leaving Madison Square Garden as the UFC middleweight champion.
“I can’t say whether it’s by a submission, knockout, or a decision; any of these can happen,” he said when asked for a prediction. “But I definitely visualize myself getting my hand raised Saturday.”
