What’s Next For Adesanya & Pereira After UFC 287?

It’s been two weeks since Israel Adesanya defeated Alex Pereira to become the first-ever two-time UFC middleweight champion at UFC 287 in what has been one of the greatest rivalries in combat sports. Adesanya knocked Periera out cold with a brutal right hand to reclaim his throne as the king of the middleweights. We look at what’s next for both men after Pereira announced that he will be moving up to the light heavyweight division for his next fight.

Israel Adesanya

“The Last Style Bender” has cleared out the middleweight division with no clear contender for him at the moment. Robert Whittaker is number one in the rankings but has already lost twice to Adesanya. He’s beaten everyone in the top 5, so perhaps South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis could earn himself a title shot if he can break into the top five.

Another option for Adesanya would be to take another shot at double champ status by moving up to take on light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, who’s without an opponent at the moment.

Khamzat Chimaev is rumoured to be fighting Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October. A win over Costa would surely earn “Borz” a title shot early next year but I doubt Adesanya will be willing to wait that long. For me, the obvious choice is Adesanya moving up to face Jamahal Hill and look to become a double champ, cementing his legacy as one of the best to ever do it.

Alex Pereira

Many fans and experts have been calling for “Poatan” to move up a division as he’s a bit too big for the middleweight division. After his first loss to Adesanya in four fights (including two kickboxing fights), Pereira announced on his YouTube page that he’d be moving up a weight class.

I doubt he will automatically get a title shot considering how he lost to Adesanya. He might have to fight a top 10 or top 5 fighter to earn it. Most of the fighters in the top 10 of the LHW division are terrible matchups for him as they can all wrestle. He’ll have to improve significantly on his ground game or takedown defence if he is to be a problem at 205 lb.

Ryan Spann, Jiří Procházka and Jamahal Hill are the three fights in the top 10 where I’d give him a chance but I doubt he’ll get either Procházka or Hill, so Spann looks like the obvious choice.

It would be a fantastic storyline ending if the Adesanya-Pereira rivalry is to be decided with a LHW title fight, with Pereira as champ and Adesanya looking to become double champ.

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