UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] has opened as a slight underdog in a potential MMA trilogy fight vs. [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag].
Since losing his middleweight title to Adesanya by knockout, Pereira (9-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) moved up to 205 pounds and defeated ex-champ Jan Blachowicz then Jiri Prochazka by knockout this past Saturday to claim the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 295.
After picking up his first win against “Poatan” at UFC 287, Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was dethroned by Sean Strickland in a stunning upset at UFC 293. Pereira called out Adesanya after beating Prochazka, and if he gets his wish, oddsmakers aren’t currently favoring him to win – despite the momentum being on his side.
According to BetMGM, Pereira is a +110 underdog, meaning a $100 bet on the champion would win $110 profit. Adesanya is a -135 favorite, meaning a $135 bet would be needed on the former champion to return $100 profit.
Pereira holds three wins over Adesanya – two in kickboxing and one in MMA. Pereira scored a late TKO of Adesanya at UFC 281, but Adesanya was able to exact his revenge when they rematched this past April by scoring a knockout of his own.
Adesanya is currently taking some time off after losing to Strickland, but Pereira urged him to not waste his prime and fight him. However, the UFC’s current plan is to have Pereira fight former champ Jamahal Hill once Hill returns from injury.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.