Before getting his bun kicked askew at UFC 303, Jiří Procházka accused Pereira of using “magic” and “spells” to win previous fights, which was both hilarious and bizarre. But in case that’s true, Pereira’s GOAT resume might benefit from a spell that gives Izzy the courage to give 205 a second chance.
In 2021, Adesanya lost his first light heavyweight bout to then-champ Jan Błachowicz, after which he uttered one of his favorite sayings: “Dare to be great.” He has repeated it ever since, sometimes affirming: “I am.” When he utters these words throughout his career, language is his own magic, such a powerful narrative force , can turn the world into comic book pages and bend destiny into the shape of animated arcs in his mind. However, somewhere along the way, perhaps even before being beaten by Strickland and choked by DDP, Adesanya stopped daring to put on a show and now preferred to assume he was already his.
Given the “last shot wins” attitude he adopted after finally defeating Pereira on his fourth try in both sports, it’s clear, at least to me, what’s stopping the two from completing their MMA trilogy Qu: Adesanya doesn’t want Poatan to unleash his full power in the light. While he’s noticeably more muscular than he was in his first promotion, there are absolutely no interesting matchups at middleweight, and he’s probably better off against a 205-year-old striker than against a wrestler like Blachowicz opportunity, but the former champion seems content to avoid another fight with his foe. This, in turn, makes their claims to greatness seem less audacious.
Of course, Pereira could and should be a heavyweight contender with or without an MMA decider with Adesanya. But imagine how special it would be if an ancient Brazilian ritual imbued Izzy with his former spirit and forced him to complete one of the greatest UFC rivalries of the modern era.
