The rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira began inside kickboxing rings before it ever reached the UFC. Their first professional meeting was on April 2, 2016, at Glory of Heroes 1 in Shenzhen, where Pereira defeated Adesanya by unanimous decision [5][1]. The rematch on March 4, 2017, at Glory of Heroes 7 in São Paulo ended with Pereira knocking Adesanya out with a left hook in round three, a finish widely cited as the defining early moment of the conflict; Pereira later said he saw Adesanya visibly upset after the knockout [3][2]. Those results created documented competitive friction that carried forward when Pereira switched to mixed martial arts and later joined the UFC [1]. Public words deepened the rift: on March 3, 2020, Adesanya told Sporting News Australia, "no one knows who the f--- he is," a remark Pereira later said he used as motivation to pursue an Octagon matchup [1]. Both were established kickboxing contenders in their mid-20s on parallel tracks inside GLORY and regional promotions, so their meetings carried championship-level stakes for reputation as much as for records [3][5]. Pereira later summarized the psychology behind chasing the matchup, saying, "I never forgot any word that he said. I used that as motivation to climb all the way up here for this. I'm like the stone in his shoe," which frames the kickboxing results as emotional fuel for his MMA pursuit [1]. The kickboxing ledger (Pereira 2–0) therefore functioned as a persistent narrative thread when the pair met in the UFC years later [5][1].
As of the latest documented reporting through April–November 2023, the rivalry remains public and active in rhetoric though balanced by alternating results. Israel Adesanya reclaimed the UFC middleweight title with a second-round KO on April 8, 2023 at UFC 287 ('adesanya-wins-ufc287-2023') [4][5]. Alex Pereira continued to emphasize the competitive ledger and used social media to assert his standing, including an April 29, 2023 Instagram reel referencing "3×1," and he issued public call-outs later in 2023 [6][5]. There is no public record of reconciliation; the fighters' statements and the competitive record (Pereira 3–1 across their four professional meetings through April 2023) indicate the dispute remains competition-centered and active in public discourse [5][1][4][6].
Adesanya views the rivalry as a professional obstacle to overcome and a personal redemption task after past kickboxing defeats; he framed the UFC rematch as correcting earlier losses and regaining status [1][4]. He emphasizes preparation and mindset rather than prolonged personal animus, calling the fight a competitive test that required adjustment [1].
Pereira treats the rivalry as both documented proof of superiority in stand-up and as motivation that drove his move into MMA and the UFC; he repeatedly references his past knockouts and Adesanya's 2020 dismissal as fuel [1][2][3]. He uses public statements and social media to preserve a historical ledger that supports his competitive claims [6].
Media and many fans framed the conflict as a cross-discipline saga that made for a high-profile promotional storyline: early kickboxing finishes plus public quotations (Adesanya's 2020 line, Pereira's 'stone in his shoe') created a clear narrative arc for coverage of UFC 281 and UFC 287 [1][3][6]. Different fan groups emphasized either Pereira's early wins or Adesanya's UFC success when evaluating who 'won' the rivalry [1][4][5].
As of the latest documented reporting through April 2023, the rivalry remained public and active in rhetoric: both fighters continued to reference past results in interviews and social media, and there is no public record of reconciliation [1][6][4].
The rivalry began in professional kickboxing when Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya by unanimous decision on April 2, 2016 and then knocked him out on March 4, 2017, results Pereira has cited repeatedly while pursuing MMA and UFC matches [5][3].
They met twice in the UFC: Pereira won the title at UFC 281 via fifth-round TKO on November 12, 2022, and Adesanya regained the title with a second-round knockout at UFC 287 on April 8, 2023 [1][4][5].
Yes. In a March 3, 2020 Sporting News Australia clip quoted by ESPN, Adesanya said, "No one knows who the f--- he is," a line Pereira later cited as motivation while building toward UFC fights [1].
According to an interview summarized by MMA News, Pereira recounted seeing Adesanya "crying outside in Ibirapuera" after the March 4, 2017 knockout; this account is Pereira's recollection as reported in media [2].
They have four documented professional meetings: April 2, 2016 (Pereira decision), March 4, 2017 (Pereira KO), November 12, 2022 (Pereira TKO at UFC 281), and April 8, 2023 (Adesanya KO at UFC 287) [5][3][1][4].
As recorded through April 2023 Pereira leads 3–1 across the four professional meetings; Pereira has two KO/TKO wins and Adesanya has one KO win [5][3][1][4].
Pereira's move into MMA and the UFC has been publicly framed by him as motivated in part by his kickboxing results over Adesanya and by Adesanya's 2020 dismissal; he stated he "never forgot any word" and used it as motivation to pursue a title opportunity [1][2].
Technical round-by-round analysis of the March 4, 2017 Glory of Heroes 7 knockout is available in kickboxing coverage such as Combat Press's 2017 fight writeup, which describes the left-hook sequence and the finish [3].