
In their first MMA fight at UFC 281, Pereira defeated Adesanya in the fifth round, even though the champ was on track to win. Adesanya was shocked to learn he was the favourite for their upcoming rematch as he assumed he would be the underdog, especially given Pereira's dangerous left hand that has ended fights before.
“I am surprised by that to be honest because I thought these bookies weren’t as smart as they are,” Adesanya told TMZ Sports.
“I’m surprised they actually picked me as the favourite because I am the more polished fighter, but he’s the guy that’s got the tools, he’s got that nuke.”
In an interview, you mentioned that only a few fighters in history have that privilege. You stated that facing fighters like Mike Tyson, David Tua, Deontay Wilder, or even Alex Pereira once in your career is considered lucky. Adesanya acknowledges that he was surprised to be the betting favorite for his rematch with Pereira at UFC 287, but he is confident he will reclaim his title on Saturday. He believes he was close to finishing Pereira at the end of the first round in their last fight, which has boosted his confidence ahead of their upcoming showdown in Miami.
“One more shot, one more shot is all it took. I mean, I did the same thing when I fought my guy Rob at UFC 243, at the last second I dropped him. I’m dangerous every second of every fight,” Adesanya said.