This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/mma as Giant kickboxer who shared ring with Adesanya and ...

Israel Adesanya Vs. Alex Pereira: Goes Back To Kickboxing Days. After the second loss to Pereira, ‘Izzy’ made a switch to the UFC in 2017 and fought against Rob Wilkinson.

Israel Adesanya recounts a crazy anecdote about what happened to him in the middle of the night at a kickboxing event in China. While MMA fans today, know Israel Adesanya for his remarkable ...

MIAMI -- Israel Adesanya didn't just exorcise his demons. He put them to sleep. Alex Pereira beat Adesanya three times, twice in kickboxing and twice by knockout. On Saturday night, ...

Israel Adesanya is putting his championship on the line against Alex Pereira, a rival from their professional kickboxing days who is officially 2-0 against the UFC champion.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya remains confident despite a pair of kickboxing losses to Alex Pereira. He'll defend his title against Pereira on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in the ...

The sport of kickboxing has served as a pivotal platform for fighters transitioning into MMA, particularly the UFC. Figures like Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira competed in GLORY before ...

As Israel Adesanya remembers it, the decision to double down on his meteoric rise from former kickboxing star to unbeaten UFC champion by moving up in weight to challenge light heavyweight ...

SI’s MMA Notes, Quotes, and Anecdotes runs every Monday. Israel Adesanya first fought Alex Pereira in a kickboxing bout in 2016. Though it was competitive, Pereira won by decision.

Israel Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira late in the second round Saturday in the main event of UFC 287 in Miami, Florida, to regain the middleweight title, fueled by the strength of his mind.