It’s nothing however respect between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.
At UFC 312 this previous weekend, each Pereira and Adesanya had been in attendance, and the 2 discovered themselves sitting subsequent to one another cageside. Given the lengthy and tense historical past between them, that might have been an uncomfortable or fraught scenario, however really, it was nothing of the kind. As an alternative, Pereira and Adesanya, with the assistance of Pereira’s coach and translator Plinio Cruz, acquired on like outdated buddies.
In a video launched on his YouTube channel on Friday, Adesanya revealed a number 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 stated by means of Cruz. “Was that the technique or simply due to the battle?”
“Technique,” Adesanya replied. “It was working properly. However when the attention poke [happened], I reset, so I got here to shut. I might 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 acquired me properly.”
“It’s a part of the sport, brother,” Cruz responded. “All people will get caught.”
“I stated the identical factor,” Adesanya agreed. “Look, we had a superb battle. Truthful sport. Simple. And I let it go.”
The pair continued to speak about Adesanya’s earlier matchup, diving into just a few of the extra technical particulars earlier than pivoting to debate different subjects, together with Pereira extending an invite to spend time with him down in Brazil.
“We’ve acquired to take you to Brazil,” Pereira stated by means of 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] in every single 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 title is Xingu, it’s the sanctuary, the most important 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 acquired 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 a protracted historical past collectively — 4 fights over seven years throughout boxing and kickboxing — the 2 even have a historical past of creating 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, lately frolicked coaching with longtime rival Robert Whittaker.
It looks as if the identical could also be taking place between Adesanya and Pereira, as after the occasion, Pereira implored Adesanya to take him up on his provide.
“Let’s get collectively,” Pereira stated by means of 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 automobile trip house from the occasion.
“Whoever set that up, good job,” Adesanya stated. “It made for good moments. I do sit up for — I believe he’s real in his provide to get collectively and make the join occur, so we’ll make it occur sooner or later.”
