Throughout the week, Pereira remained calm and composed through all of his fight week duties and media obligations. Part of that comfort came from his previous victories over Adesanya in the world of kickboxing, and part of Pereira’s general ability to keep an even demeanor while drinking in the scenes around him.
“We were doing everything right,” he said. “I already knew my opponent and I had a precise game plan. I also did very well in the sessions. During fight week, the stares, we could see he (Adesanya) wasn’t very confident, unlike me. It felt like the show was made for me, you know? I was well dressed and (UFC) allowed me to have my face painted (at weigh-ins) to represent the natives of Brazil. The show was basically for me. I just needed the icing on the cake, which was the fight and this win.
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Every element of Pereira’s victory seemed written for a movie. From Adesanya’s success in the UFC in the years before Pereira’s transition into mixed martial arts, his own fast-track to a title shot, it all turned into something of a legendary night.
Add the knockout into the mix – especially after Jiri Prochazka and Leon Edwards pulled off the 5th-round turnovers themselves – and you have a potent formula for a defining moment. However, Pereira’s stone face refuses to crack. He is aware of the dangers of fame and money changing a person for the worse, and he remains determined to stay true to himself.
“I don’t think anything has changed for me as a person,” Pereira said. “Before I was champion I had this feeling, then after becoming champion I woke up the next day and realized nothing had changed. I’m more famous now. Everyone can see that. It’s changed. I’m growing every day financially too. I think a lot of things have changed, but my priority is to be myself. I think I haven’t changed. I know I’m biased, but people around me who know me can tell you that.
