Alex Pereira interested in trilogy fight with Israel Adesanya

Former UFC Middleweight Champion Alex Pereira's 205-pound goals may be put on hold if he gets his way.

At UFC 287, 'Poatan' lost the 185-pound title in his opening defense to former champion Israel Adesanya. The two had engaged in three fights in kickboxing and MMA prior to their clash in Miami, with Pereira winning each time.

Adesanya mocked Pereira's trademark archer position after knocking him out and then made some digs at 'Poatan's son.

At first, rumors of an MMA trilogy match between the two fighters circulated among fans. When Pereira announced he was moving up to the light heavyweight division, it seemed the likelihood of such a fight happening was gone.

Pereira's jump to 205 pounds made sense for him given the difficult weight reductions he had to go through to reach the middleweight limit.

Recently, 'Poatan' responded to Adesanya's continuing criticism of him on Twitter. Pereira claimed that "Izzy" is essentially promoting a third matchup between the two fighters, tagging the UFC and its president of promotion Dana White in the process. The master of Brazilian kickboxing then declared his interest in rematching with "The Last Stylebender."

Adesanya currently lacks a clear next opponent. Robert Whittaker, a longstanding foe, and Dricus du Plessis, a fiery rising star from South Africa, will square off at UFC 290. The fight will likely determine who Adesanya will face next.