The stakes couldn’t be higher for Israel Adesanya in his upcoming MMA rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Despite winning the majority of their previous battles, Adesanya currently sits at 0-3 against Pereira, suffering brutal knockout losses in the final rounds of their last two fights after being up on the scorecards.

Their previous encounters include a controversial judges’ decision and two near-misses in kickboxing, making this fight crucial for Adesanya as it could be his last chance to conquer the opponent who’s the only one to knock him out in his career.

Adesanya recognizes just how pivotal UFC 287 is and understands that he can’t downplay the fight or pretend it’s just another bout. As he puts it, this is his “one shot”, his chance to exorcise his demons and finally beat Pereira. The rivalry between the two is one-sided in terms of results, but Adesanya is motivated to add another chapter to the story and prove how great he is.

The frustrating part for Adesanya is how close he’s come to winning in each of his previous fights against Pereira. He’s aware that strategically, he’s been doing everything right, but he just needs to put the finishing touches on his performance and stop Pereira from mounting a comeback as he’s done in the past. Adesanya knows how dangerous he is and plans to make his opponent work hard to secure victory.

Previously, Adesanya ran through the middleweight division during his title reign, but Pereira proved to be an obstacle he couldn’t overcome. Adesanya has yet to be an underdog in any of his UFC fights, but he feels like he’s the underdog in this fight, with many people counting him out due to his previous losses. He’s determined to make a statement and leave no doubt about who’s the better fighter.

Adesanya is focused on the present and has his sights set on this fight, aiming to take down Pereira and remind people of how great he is. He’s the hunter now and won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Adesanya hopes to perform better than Pereira ever has, to beat him decisively and to make him suffer damage. He settles scores and plans to have the last laugh.

In conclusion, despite previous losses, Adesanya remains as determined as ever and is ready to show the world what he’s made of. This fight could be his last.