Farah Hannoun, MMA JunkieWed, March 11, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC·1 min readIsrael Adesanya has enjoyed watching his former rival thrive.
Alex Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will look to capture a third UFC championship when he meets Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim heavyweight title in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event June 14 at the White House.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPereira vacated his light heavyweight title for a move up to heavyweight, and Adesanya thinks he has what it takes to make history.
"Good card, f*cking sick," Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. "Stacked, as it should be. They had to make do with what they have. They would have loved to have Jones there (shrugs). I hope Alex wins. That is crazy, a three-time (champion). Gane is no joke, and Gane can dance around him. Gane's slick. Gane could knock him out, as well. But I think Alex can knock him out, too."
More: Triple Take: Is the UFC Freedom 250 card a complete letdown?
Adesanya and Pereira fought twice in UFC middleweight title fights. Pereira put an end to Adesanya's title reign when he knocked him out at UFC 281, but "The Stylebender" exacted his revenge with a knockout of his own in their rematch at UFC 287.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Israel Adesanya hopes Alex Pereira makes history
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