Israel Adesanya says Joe Pyfer clash reminds him of iconic Alex Pereira rematch: ‘It’s Deja vu’

Israel Adesanya doesn’t think that his return at UFC Seattle is something he hasn’t experienced before.

Adesanya had some fans concerned after he made weight ahead of his second consecutive Fight Night main event.

The messages that Adesanya received from supporters made him emotional during this process as he spoke about the impact they’ve had on his career.

He will walk into the Climate Pledge Arena later today in a difficult position, but one that he’s fought his way out of in the past.

Israel Adesanya says he knows what it’s like to have his back against the wall due to Alex Pereira rematch

For the first time in his career, Israel Adesanya will step inside the cage off the back of a three-fight losing streak on March 28.

‘The Last Stylebender’ may not have been in this particular position before, but he did overcome three consecutive defeats to the same man when he knocked out Alex Pereira in spectacular fashion at UFC 287.

Adesanya, who received a message of support from Pereira on fight week, reflected on this experience after a fan said that he was feeling some similarities between that iconic clash and his next outing.

“It’s coming and I know what he means. With Pereira, I lost to the man three times. I’ve never had that in my life and I found a way to make it happen,” he said in a video on his YouTube channel. “Now, I’ve had three fights that I’ve come up short in.

“My back’s against the wall against a dangerous opponent so it feels familiar. Everything feels familiar. The fight week feels familiar. After the fight, I’ll tell you more about what feels familiar and it just lets me know it’s synergy. It’s Deja vu. So that right there, I feel it.” 

The major difference between these fights is the intensity that came with them.

While Adesanya and Joe Pyfer have been on good terms, it felt like the weight of the world was on the former two-time middleweight champion’s shoulders in his rematch with Pereira.

He’d been followed to the UFC by his biggest rival only to lose his belt to ‘Poatan’ in the final round while being minutes away from finally beating him.

If the main event on Saturday night is giving Adesanya a similar feeling, we can expect something remarkable given just how impressive his knockout of Pereira was back in 2023.