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