Having a deep-rooted history with UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira, UFC Saudi Arabia headliner Israel Adesanya sent a clear message about who he's leaning toward on March 8 when Pereira finally fights Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 313 main event.

When Alex Pereira joined the UFC as an MMA neophyte in 2021, the thought of him chasing down his old kickboxing rival-turned-UFC champion Israel Adesanya was pure fantasy. But the Brazilian held two wins over Adesanya from the pair's kickboxing days, proving he was a worthy stylistic matchup should he implausibly climb that mountain.