Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell once went on a tear in the division while taking revenge for previous losses to Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture. At this point, Liddell was considered the baddest fighter on the planet because of his intimidating look, fan appeal, and devastating knockout power. Unfortunately, revenge doesn’t always work out in favor of the one seeking it.
Chuck would get a shot at the only other man to beat him up to that point.
Enter Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.
Liddell was knocked out in the first round by Rampage to the shock of casual fans, but die hard MMA followers knew Jackson had been mauling people in the PrideFC organization for years. Chuck would never be the same and his terrible record after the loss showed it.
So why are we discussing this?
Another champion on the road to revenge is UFC middleweight king, Israel Adesanya. The man in his sights is Alex Pereira who holds two victories over him in the Glory of Heroes kickboxing organization. The last win was a brutal left hook KO that saw Israel Adesanya motionless on the mat. A perfect storm happened and Pereira made his way to the UFC rattling off three wins in a row and seeing how Israel is one of the most marketable champs they have – he requested and got his rematch.
The dangers of revenge bouts cannot be overstated. Will Adesanya be so focused on knocking out Alex that he makes a crucial mistake and gets KO’d himself? Will Pereira fold under the pressure of being in a UFC pay per view main event after only three fights? Has Adesanya improved enough to get those wins back? So many questions to answer and only one way to do it. Step inside the cage.
If Israel decides to show Pereira just how much his game has improved in MMA it may not even be close. Alex could end up chasing the elusive champ around trying to land that patented left hand and lose a decision instead. Adesanya needs to keep Alex at arm’s length and use the unique striking skills that got him the belt. Pereira needs to figure out how to close the distance and connect with his power shots.
Revenge is never a sure thing and most of the time not a smart thing to seek. Still, some people need it more than anything else in their careers. It affects them mentally and occasionally those losses consume them until they get a chance to avenge them. Will Israel be able to do it, or will Alex chalk up win number three?