Pereira shows empathy for Adesanya's four-fight skid ahead of historic heavyweight bid

Alex Pereira offered a measured and empathetic take on Israel Adesanya’s four-fight losing skid this week, insisting the sport’s unpredictability spares no one — not even himself — as he prepares to face Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC White House on Sunday.

“Who am I to say, brother?” Pereira told MMA Fighting. “Like the guy had a brilliant career, you know what I mean? That can happen to anybody. I just signed [for] eight fights, that can happen to me tomorrow. Who says that I’m gonna win eight fights in a row? I can start losing. [These are] things that can happen.”

The two fighters share a long and layered history across kickboxing and MMA. Pereira defeated Adesanya multiple times on the kickboxing circuit before the rivalry moved to the octagon. He stopped Adesanya in the fifth round to claim the UFC middleweight title at UFC 281 in November 2022, only for Adesanya to reclaim the belt five months later with a Knockout of the Year candidate at UFC 287.

Since then, their careers have diverged sharply. Pereira moved to light heavyweight and became a two-time champion in that division, most recently dismantling Magomed Ankalaev in just 80 seconds at UFC 320 in October. Adesanya, meanwhile, has lost four straight and five of his past six, with four of those defeats coming by stoppage.

Despite the contrast in their current fortunes, Pereira was careful not to diminish what his greatest rival has achieved. “The guy’s had great moments,” he said. “He’s had a great career, a great success, and he has my respect.”

At 38, Pereira now stands one win away from becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in three separate divisions. A victory over Gane on Sunday would add the interim heavyweight strap to his middleweight and light heavyweight titles, cementing a legacy that even Pereira himself acknowledges could turn on a single night.