It’s nothing however respect between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.
At UFC 312 this previous weekend, each Pereira and Adesanya have been in attendance, and the 2 discovered themselves sitting subsequent to one another cageside. Given the lengthy and tense historical past between them, that would have been an uncomfortable or fraught scenario, however actually, it was nothing of the type. As an alternative, Pereira and Adesanya, with the assistance of Pereira’s coach and translator Plinio Cruz, obtained on like previous buddies.
In a video launched on his YouTube channel on Friday, Adesanya revealed a few of the conversations he and Pereira had, beginning with a respectful dialogue about Adesanya’s latest loss to Nassourdine Imavov.
“I noticed that you just put in additional quantity than regular, attacked greater than regular,” Pereira mentioned by Cruz. “Was that the technique or simply due to the battle?”
“Technique,” Adesanya replied. “It was working nicely. However when the attention poke [happened], I reset, so I got here to shut. I’d by no means swap that shut as a result of if I swap that shut, that’s what occurs, and he knew what to do. ‘Oh, there he’s! Whap!’ Good sport. He obtained me nicely.”
“It’s a part of the sport, brother,” Cruz responded. “Everyone will get caught.”
“I mentioned the identical factor,” Adesanya agreed. “Look, we had a great battle. Honest sport. Straightforward. And I let it go.”
The pair continued to speak about Adesanya’s earlier matchup, diving into a number of of the extra technical particulars earlier than pivoting to debate different matters, together with Pereira extending an invite to spend time with him down in Brazil.
“We’ve obtained to take you to Brazil,” Pereira mentioned by Cruz.
“Oh yeah, I’ll come,” Adesanya replied. “Once I got here, after we fought [in kickboxing in 2017], it was Carnival. It was [makes party gestures] all over the place.”
“We’ll go over there, we’ll prepare, hang around, good occasions,” Pereira added.
“After we fought, we went to the mountain and had barbecue,” Adesanya continued. “Some actually good Brazilian barbecue. … We’ll go to Brazil. I additionally need to go the place his persons are. The tribes.”
“That’s near Bahia,” Cruz defined. “It’s the north, so it’s tremendous good there. That tribe is on the shore is near Bahia, however deep within the Amazon, the identify is Xingu, it’s the sanctuary, the largest indigenous nation that has their assembly place within the Amazon. … Each time we go, you’ll include us, as a result of we’ve nonetheless obtained to go there a while. That’s the place Anderson Silva was combating the indigenous, on the sand.”
“Yeah, man. I’d like to.”
Although Pereira and Adesanya have an extended historical past collectively — 4 fights over seven years throughout boxing and kickboxing — the 2 even have a historical past of constructing peace with former foes. Pereira is buddies and occasional coaching companions with Sean Strickland, even serving as a cornerman for Strickland at UFC 312. Adesanya, in the meantime, not too long ago hung out coaching with longtime rival Robert Whittaker.
It looks like the identical could also be occurring between Adesanya and Pereira, as after the occasion, Pereira implored Adesanya to take him up on his provide.
“Let’s get collectively,” Pereira mentioned by Cruz. “Let’s make this partnership occur. I’ve quite a bit to point out you, and you’ve got quite a bit to point out me.”
And Adesanya appears up for it, chatting with his cameraman throughout his automotive journey residence from the occasion.
“Whoever set that up, good job,” Adesanya mentioned. “It made for good moments. I do look ahead to — I believe he’s real in his provide to get collectively and make the join occur, so we’ll make it occur at some point.”
