Nigerian-born UFC star Israel Adesanya claims that his fierce rival Alex Pereira has strong spiritual backing.
In a recent episode of the “JRE MMA Show” with Joe Rogan, the former middleweight champion expressed his belief in the Brazilian fighter’s spiritual prowess, echoing sentiments earlier voiced by ex-light heavyweight titleholder Jiri Prochazka.
“You know what Jiri said about the whole Juju thing? That’s real. That’s real,” Adesanya said, referencing Prochazka’s accusations of Pereira using shamanic sorcery.
“The last time I fought him in Miami, look… the guy beat me in the biggest arena on the planet, Madison Square Garden, the same way as the last time he beat me in Brazil,” Adesanya said.
He further detailed how he seemed to have the upper hand in those bouts before Pereira mounted miraculous comebacks, saying, “I was beating his a**, had him hurt at the end of the first round… and then he gets me in the last round.”
Adesanya attributed Pereira’s uncanny ability to recover and turn the tables to spiritual forces.
“It’s his spirit, his whatever, like ancestors or his people, that are praying for him… The way he carries himself. Something about him just—he knows how to recover well,” he added.
