Video: Alex Pereira beats Israel Adesanya (again), trumps tennis ball bypass with hoverboard boxing

The folks over at ESPN MMA think Israel Adesanya’s training is “different” because the reigning middleweight champion is prepping for Brazilian nemesis Alex Pereira at UFC 281 this November in New York by dodging incoming tennis balls, likely to help with his reflexes and reaction time.

Since UFC and ESPN hated each other until right up until this financial agreement came into place, I don’t expect them to realize that Adesanya’s ball bypass is not that different, since former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was using the exact same technique well over a decade ago.

Either way, Pereira remains unimpressed.

Hopefully Mike Tyson is watching and taking notes.

“I was shocked at how big he is in real life, Alex Pereira is huge,” former UFC middleweight and current light heavyweight Anthony Smith said on YouTube. “He’s drastically larger. I think Izzy is going to win most of the exchanges but Pereira can fight him on his terms. He’s the only guy in the mixed martial arts world in that weightclass that can fight Izzy on his terms and win. There’s no threat of wrestling either. Neither one of these guys are shooting takedowns.”

LIVE! Watch UFC 301 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

RAUCUS RETURN TO RIO! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sat., May 4, 2024, featuring Flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja, defending his belt against undefeated challenger, Steve Erceg, in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of the evening. UFC 301’s co-main event features “The King of Rio,” Jose Aldo, returning to the Bantamweight division for the first time in almost two years to take on Jonathan Martinez. UFC 301’s PPV main card (see it here) will also feature Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino, Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria and so much more. It’s must-watch action! UFC 301 start time scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (Prelims) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

• STREAM UFC 301

While the 6-1 Pereira is fairly new to mixed martial arts (MMA), he does hold two victories over Adesanya on the kickboxing circuit, including a 2017 knockout under the GLORY banner. The question for “Poatan” critics is how well the Brazilian can adapt to the nuances of cage fighting, a place where “The Last Stylebender” has a three year head start.

We’ll find out on Nov. 12 in “The Empire State.”

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 281 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard (on ESPNEWS/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 281: “Adesanya vs. Pereira” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.