"That Makes Me Stronger" - Alex Pereira Responds to Israel Adesanya Slamming Him

Alex Pereira's quest for a historic third UFC title hasn't exactly gone to plan. In his first bid for interim heavyweight gold against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, 'Poatan' suffered a TKO loss. Now, as he looks to turn things around at heavyweight against Sergei Pavlovich in the co-main event of UFC 335, the legendary Brazilian hasn't ruled out a return to light heavyweight if things don't go his way again.

Pereira has floated this possibility in interviews leading up to the fight. Former arch-rival Israel Adesanya, however, isn't particularly fond of 'Poatan's mindset heading into the Pavlovich clash. As 'The Last Stylebender' sees it, a fighter should never approach any fight with a pessimistic or doubtful mindset. Pereira has now responded to his former middleweight rival's criticism, offering a clarification.

Alex Pereira Responds to Israel Adesanya's Criticism

During the UFC 335 pre-fight press conference earlier this week, when asked about Israel Adesanya's criticism, Alex Pereira clarified that he had always been mindful of the possibility of losing a fight. As the former two-division champion sees it, that realization has only made him stronger and more determined:

"I think if you follow me and if you've been around me all the time, those who are around me know that this is the mentality that I've always had in all my fights. I always thought I can lose this fight, and then that makes me stronger. And that's how I've gone about it throughout."

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below:

Interestingly, however, despite 'Poatan' being 0-1 at heavyweight, UFC.com has listed him as a -200 betting favorite for UFC 335, with Pavlovich coming in as the +165 underdog as of Nov. 14. Nevertheless, the Russian is a seasoned heavyweight with wins over Curtis Blaydes, Derrick Lewis, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta, among others.

Pavlovich is also widely regarded as one of the hardest hitters at 265 pounds. While Pereira's punching power is already the stuff of legends, we are yet to see how it would translate to the heaviest weight class.

Alex Pereira Offers Measured Take on His Punching Power Compared to Sergei Pavlovich

Does Alex Pereira hit harder than Sergei Pavlovich? That was one of the questions 'Poatan' faced during the aforementioned pre-fight press conference. Safe to say, the hard-hitting former two-division champion showed respect for his opponent, offering a measured response rather than giving a straightforward answer.

When The Mac Life's Oscar Willis asked 'Poatan' whether he punched harder than the Russian, the Brazilian responded:

"For sure, I know how tough of an opponent I'm facing. A lot of people talk about his hands. They talk about how strong I am. But for sure, on Dec. 12, we'll find out who is the strongest."

Check out Alex Pereira's comments below (0:14):

A closer look at the records shows that 11 of Pereira's 13 MMA wins have come by knockout. However, all of those finishes came at middleweight and light heavyweight. In comparison, Pavlovich boasts 16 knockout wins, all at heavyweight.