Alex Pereira’s unexpected response after Israel Adesanya mocked the Brazilian’s 12-year-old son following his devastating knockout victory at UFC 287
Alex Pereira was surprisingly magnanimous when asked about Israel Adesanya’s post-fight antics as the defeated Brazilian admitted he understood why the UFC star mocked his 12-year-old son.
Adesanya, 33, finally clinched an elusive victory over Pereira on Saturday night, securing a devastating second round knockout to dispel three soul-crushing defeats to his hard-hitting arch rival.
An elated Adesanya could be seen pointing to the crowd in the immediate aftermath of his victory, before dropping to the floor and playing dead.
It later emerged that he singled out Pereira’s 12-year-old son, who had made the same gesture while Adesanya lay unconscious following his kickboxing defeat by Poatan seven years earlier.
Yet despite criticism aimed at Adesanya for picking on a child, Pereira was far more relaxed about the incident, saying in a YouTube video: ‘I don’t know if I wouldn’t do the same.
Alex Pereira was surprisingly magnanimous regarding Israel Adesanya’s antics at UFC 287
‘I can play with him, I’ve always played with him and teased him. It was something that happened. But I don’t know, it’s another child because I don’t know what his feeling was.
‘I don’t know, it is seven years ago, he was enduring it and I saw his joy that he had after the knockout because this was his dream. That was his dream and he made it, but we’re comparing him [his son] with a child who was five-years-old at the time, right? I don’t have that mind.’
Reflecting on his controversial act, Adesanya was not apologetic after his victory, insisting that he wanted to provide a lesson for the 12-year-old.
‘I’m petty bro,’ Adesanya admitted. ‘I remember the first time he knocked me out in Brazil his son came into the ring and started to get next to me. I’m like ‘you f***ing little a**hole, I’ll whoop your a** if your dad won’t do it for you.
‘I looked for his kid and I pointed at him and I saw him. I was like ‘hey, hey hey,’ just to remind him. I saw him [Pereira] backstage and we’re cool. He’s a great champion, he’s a warrior and his story – I mean that. I’m the antagonist in his story, he’s a f***ing beast coming from where he’s come from and the adversity he’s faced in his life to get to where he is.’
The UFC star taunted Pereira’s 12-year-old son following his second round knockout
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