‘I did that kid a favor, I’m glad I did it' – Israel Adesanya reveals why he mocked Pereira’s son

Nigerian-born mixed martial artist, Israel Adesanya, has explained his reason for mocking Brazilian rival, Alex Pereira's son after he won the UFC Middleweight title.

On April 9, Israel defeated Pereira by a knockout at UFC 287 to reclaim his Middleweight belt he lost to him last year.

Speaking in an interview with XcellentMMA, Adesanya said he mocked Pereira's son to teach the boy a life lesson.

His comment comes following several critics who berated him for taking a swipe at the little boy after beating his father.

According to Adesanya, the little boy had previously mocked him after his dad defeated him in his home country to emerge the Middleweight champion.

He said, “The guy [Pereira] knocked me out in his home country. And then you see your kid doing that [mocking me] and you don’t have the discipline to scold him.

“If you are not going to teach your kid manners and respect, I will. So, I did him a favour. I did that kid a favour. Now he has a life lesson that he can hold on to forever. I’m glad I did it.”