The goading between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira’s 12-year-old son has been a fascinating subplot in the historic rivalry between ‘Poatan’ and ‘The Last Stylebender.’
In the wake of his incredible finish against the Brazilian at UFC 287, Adesanya wasted no time in pointing to Alex Pereira’s son, and mimicking his Father falling to the canvas. The move was payback for 2017 when the youngster had done the same to the Kiwi-Nigerian after has Dad had sparked him out in Glory.
Falei antes para não deixar subir no ringue 😂(meu filho Alessandro após eu nocautear o Adesanya). I told them before not to let him in the ring 😂(my son Alessandro after I knocked Adesanya out). pic.twitter.com/xsa8jaySWR
— Alex “Poatan” Pereira (@AlexPereiraUFC) September 2, 2022
The victory for Adesanya last weekend means that he’s now 1-1 with Alex Pereira in MMA after the Sao Paulo-native had TKO’d him to win the belt in November. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 35-year-old revealed how he had to stop his son from repeating the taunt on that occasion.
“I did that,” said Alex Pereira. “I knocked him out the night I won the belt and my kid was wanting to do the same thing up there. I said, ‘no, stop. Don’t do it. Stay here and don’t do anything’. I’m a conscious guy and everything I’m saying here, I’m really saying. I wouldn’t do it. If he did it and he felt better that way, it’s a relief and it won’t change anything for me,” added the former champion.
Adesanya has made headlines for the way he responded to the taunt and choosing to goad a child so many years after the initial incident.
“We’re comparing him with a child who was five years old at the time,” explained Alex Pereira. “I don’t have that mind. Today, he is 12 years old and before the fight I saw that he was being influenced by other people. He even participated in some interviews and some reporters said, ‘are you going to do this?’ ‘I’m going to do it again’ and he laughed because he’s a kid. He thinks it’s funny,” continued the former Glory champion.
The rivalry has been touted as one of the greatest in the history of the sport, but those expecting a UFC trilogy anytime soon could be disappointed. Adesanya says that he wants a new opponent during his post-fight press conference, while Alex Pereira has been tipped for a move up to 205-lb.
Who do you want to see him fight next?
