Israel Adesanya compared rematch with Alex Pereira to Eminem in “8 Mile”

Israel Adesanya defeated Alex Pereira in the second round to avenge his lone loss in the UFC at middleweight, pulling off a surprise knockout victory to reclaim the title at UFC 287 in Miami.

Adesanya desired a speedy rematch after losing to Pereira in November cost him the 185-pound (84 kg) championship crown that he had held since 2019.

Before the fight, during the press conference, Israel Adesanya compared this fight to Eminem in the 8 Mile movie. He even used some lyrics his Oscar and Grammy-winning single “Lose Yourself.”

“I’m down two fights in kickboxing, one fight in MMA, so I’m down three, and this is like in every movie — your one shot. This is my Eminem moment, my ‘8 Mile‘ moment. You get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and this is it. This is it for me. Imagine what if I get it done!? What if I get it done better than he has ever done it. What if I butchered and beat the f–k out of him?!”

You can watch the interview below:

Israel Adesanya is bringing Eminem energy to UFC 287 pic.twitter.com/7VMGnVF7PM

— MMA Mania (@mmamania) April 5, 2023