A rivalry that transcends MMA might be closer to being booked inside the octagon -- that is, if everything goes according to plan at UFC 276.
On July 2, Israel Adesanya defends the UFC middleweight title against Jared Cannonier. This will be the fifth defense of the title for Adesanya. A few fights below that one on the main card, Sean Strickland faces Alex Pereira in a pivotal matchup. The Strickland fight is a major step up in competition for Pereira, who has only competed in two UFC fights. With a win over Strickland, ranked fourth in the UFC’s middleweight rankings, the unranked Pereira could see himself earning a title shot in no time.
Adesanya is ready to take on a familiar foe.
Pereira has two wins over Adesanya in kickboxing, one by unanimous decision and one by knockout. The left hook that took out Adesanya in 2017 would be Adesanya's last kickboxing bout. During a UFC press conference in Australia, Adesanya welcomed the idea of facing Pereira inside the octagon, should the two win their fights at UFC 276.
MORE: UFC 276 date, start time, odds, PPV schedule & card for Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier
The current UFC middleweight champion also sent out a warning to Pereira if he was the next man up to face him.
“This TikTok generation has 15-second memory, so they forget,” Adesanya stated. “All they see is the knockout, but they didn’t watch the first fight or even watch the second fight before the finish. This is not kickboxing. This is mixed martial arts, and these ain’t big pillow gloves. These are four-ounce deadly weapons, and I can’t wait to drive that through his face after I go through Jared Cannonier.”
Since leaving kickboxing and debuting for the UFC in 2018, Adesanya is 11-1 with the promotion. Adesanya beat Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in '19 for the interim UFC middleweight title and beat Robert Whittaker a few months later for the unified belt. He has since defended it against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, and Whittaker. The Whittaker rematch was in February.
Pereira, 34, made his MMA debut in 2015. 2-1 to start his career, he took a brief hiatus following the '16 calendar year. While still kickboxing, Pereira returned to MMA in '20. Joining the UFC in '21, Pereira has wins over Andreas Michailidis and Bruno Silva.
Is Pereira ready for a title opportunity? Should he get it so early on in his career? If the results are there, why not?
MORE: Israel Adesanya net worth: purse history, career earnings for MMA champion
Pereira would not be the first fighter to fight for a title after making an immediate impact in the UFC. Adesanya made sure to point that out during the press conference.
“I don’t like this narrative of like, ‘Oh it’s too quick for Pereira.’ But look, Jiri (Prochazka) just fought for the belt and won the belt in his third fight in the UFC,” Adesanya went on to say. “I think Anderson (Silva) did it in his second fight. So, that’s fine. He’s new to MMA. I’ve been in this game for a long time.”
Prochazka beat Glover Teixeira at UFC 275 to win the UFC light heavyweight title. Anderson Silva won the UFC middleweight title in 2006 against Rich Franklin, his second fight with the promotion. Outside of those two, Georges St-Pierre challenged for the UFC welterweight title in '04 after competing in only two bouts in the UFC.
If Pereira impresses against the unorthodox Strickland and Adesanya retains over Cannonier, it would be like the stars aligning. UFC President Dana White could see dollar signs floating around his head when it comes to a matchup like that. Anything is possible in the world of MMA, and that is one potential fight all fight fans will be keeping an eye out for.
After all these years, who would have the edge?
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 276 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
When is UFC 276: Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier
- Date: Saturday, July 2
- FIGHT PASS Prelims: 6 p.m. ET
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET (approximately)
UFC 276 takes place on July 2. The FIGHT PASS prelims will start at 6 p.m. ET, while the prelims take place at 8 p.m. ET. The main card is set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. Adesanya and Cannonier should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch UFC 276: Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier
- TV channels: ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
- Live stream: ESPN+
The main card for UFC 276 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost.
Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+, the WatchESPN app, and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport 1, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, FOXTEL and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier price: How much does UFC 276 cost?
- $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $99.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 276 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 276 is $74.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 276 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $6.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $69.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $74.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $99.98, then $69.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $88.98, then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 276 fight card
Main card
- Israel Adesanya (c) vs. Jared Cannonier for the UFC middleweight title
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Max Holloway 3 for the UFC featherweight title
- Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira; Middleweights
- Pedro Munhoz vs. Sean O'Malley; Bantamweights
Prelims
- Brad Riddell vs. Jalin Turner; Lightweights
- Robbie Lawler vs. Bryan Barberena; Welterweights
- Ian Garry vs. Gabriel Green; Welterweights
- Jim Miller vs. Donald Cerrone; Welterweights
FIGHT PASS Prelims
- Uriah Hall vs. Andre Muniz; Middleweights
- Jessica Eye vs. Maycee Barber; Flyweights
- Brad Tavares vs. Dricus Du Plessis; Middleweights
- Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Julija Stoliarenko; Bantamweights
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