Alex Pereira not buying Israel Adesanya’s decision to sideline himself ‘for a long time’ Israel Adesanya announced he’s taking a break from competition for some time. His longtime rival Alex Pereira isn’t buying it. “The Last Stylebender” recently told reporters in Saudi Arabia that while he isn’t retiring from MMA, fight fans also shouldn’t expect to see him back in action for a few years. “2027, look for the return. I’ll see you then,” Adesanya said. Pereira moved up to 205 pounds after losing to Adesanya in April and now challenges Jiri Prochazka for the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt this Saturday at UFC 295 in New York following a successful divisional debut over ex-champ Jan Blachowicz in July. The Brazilian, who holds a 3-1 record over Adesanya across two sports, reacted to Adesanya’s comments on MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast ahead of his upcoming title challenge. “I don’t think that’s true, he won’t stay [out] that long,” Pereira said. “And that’s not good for