Key Stats: 12 knockdowns landed (1st), 60% significant strike defense (tied-6th), 18:26 average fight time (3rd longest all-time)
Order UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2
What It Means: “The Last Stylebender” is methodical, meticulous, and measured when it comes to breaking down his opponents round after round. He loves to start chopping his opponent’s legs early and often while presenting feints and different looks off those strikes. He’ll constantly switch stances and has the rare ability of staying defensively sound from both positions. Adesanya has a knack for mixing up his rhythm and catching opponents in those in-between moments of exchanges, which is set up layer-by-layer each round.
What to Look For in the Fight: The fascinating aspect of this matchup is multi-layered. First, this is their fourth time facing one another across two disciplines, and just five months passed since their first MMA bout. Few secrets remain between them, particularly the wrinkle Adesanya presented with his grappling. Arguably, one could say Adesanya was well ahead in their second kickboxing and first MMA fights before “Poatan” flipped the script. He did a good job of chopping Adesanya’s legs when “The Last Stylebender” feinted, and shut Adesanya’s movement down significantly. It feels like Adesanya needs to maintain distance, manage danger and fight rather perfectly to win because of Pereira’s power. That said, if there was a fighter to do it, it’s Adesanya. Watch for who controls the real estate in the Octagon. Adesanya doesn’t mind striking while moving backward and against the fence, but Pereira is more of a stalking type who wants to eventually find the avenue for a knockout shot. However, they’re both lethal from any position.
