Only Man to Defeat Alex Pereira Hopes UFC Champ Prevails in Israel Adesanya Rematch

Former Jungle Fight welterweight champion Quemuel Ottoni will finally make his debut on U.S. soil when he faces Jackson-Wink MMA product Chris Brown at the PFL Challenger Series “Second Chance” event on Friday.

“I should have made my debut in January, but unfortunately I had a spinal sprain so I postponed it to March,” Ottoni told Sherdog.com.

Ottoni is happy to make his PFL debut against a fellow striker.

“Brown likes to brawl just like myself and that will be good for the fans,” he said. “I hope to impose my game and get a contract signed. I’ve waited a long time to have my chance to fight in the U.S., where everything happens, and I'll not waste that.”

Ottoni is perhaps best known for a third-round submission victory over current UFC middleweight champion Alex Pereira at Jungle Fight 82 in 2015. Since that rear-naked choke win, Ottoni and Pereira have followed totally different career paths. While “Poatan” initially decided to focus on his Glory kickboxing career, where he won belts in two divisions, Ottoni stayed on the MMA track and captured the Jungle Fight welterweight crown some seven years after besting Pereira.

Coincidentally, Ottoni will have Pereira’s former coach in his corner at the Challenger Series on Friday night. While Ottoni expected Israel Adesanya to defeat Pereira in their first meeting last November, he believes his former foe should be favored in the rematch at UFC 287.

“Actually, I thought ‘Poatan’ would have his best chances in the first three rounds and, after that, the fight would get tougher for him, but ‘Poatan’ proved I was wrong,” Ottoni said. “He got stronger in the fourth and ended the fight in the fifth round. Now I believe he is the favorite and of course I’m cheering for him so I can keep being the only man to beat him in MMA.”