Israel Adesanya says his rivalry with UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira could be the “greatest storyline in MMA history”.
The pair meet for a fourth time at UFC 287 in Miami on Saturday, with Pereira winning all three previous fights.
The Brazilian, 35, has won twice in kickboxing and once in MMA, claiming the UFC title in November.
His latest victory ended Adesanya’s three-year dominance of the division.
“This is probably one of if not the greatest storyline in MMA history,” said Adesanya.
“Not many people get the opportunity to show how great they are and to rise to the occasion when all odds are stacked against them. I feel like the underdog.
“Because of what happened in the last fight people have goldfish memories. They’ve forgotten what I’ve done in this game and it’s time to remind people how great I am.”
Nigeria-born New Zealander Adesanya, 33, unified the middleweight division in 2019 and defended it five times before running into long-time nemesis Pereira.