UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has promised revenge when he faces arch rival, Alex Pereira, at UFC 281 in his seventh title defence.

Adesanya defeated Jared Cannonier via unanimous decision in July while Pereira knocked out Sean Strickland in round 1 of their middleweight encounter in an Adesanya undercard in July.

Both fighters have history dating back to their kickboxing days with the Brazilian defeating the Nigerian-born New Zealander twice. Adesanya’s first loss to Pereira was a unanimous decision loss in 2016 while the now UFC superstar was brutally knocked out in their second encounter in 2017 needing an oxygen mask after the loss.

Adesanya transitioned to MMA before Pereira and has recorded unprecedented success and fame. He is unbeaten in the middleweight division (23-0) while his only loss in the UFC was in the hands of Pole, Jan Błachowicz, when he moved up in weight to the light heavyweight category to fight for the title. 

Pereira after his win against Strickland in July has promised to bring Adesanya’s ego back to earth with a knockout but the middleweight champion says he’s motivation is his quest for vengeance.

“Vengeance is mine, says the lord. Brooooo I said the same thing too!! This ends here. Kill or be killed.”

Since joining the UFC, Pereira has won all three fights he’s been involved in with two coming via knockout and the other via unanimous decision. Pundits had previously predicted a meeting between the two fighters to happen within two years of the Brazilian’s arrival in the franchise.