Israel Adesanya jokes over Alex Pereira UFC 6 cover with ‘The Boys’ reference

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Last Monday, EA Sports confirmed that Alex Pereira will front the Standard Edition of UFC 6, while Max Holloway has been selected as the cover athlete for the Ultimate Edition.

The Standard Edition artwork featuring ‘Poatan’ also includes a subtle detail that did not go unnoticed. Israel Adesanya’s left arm appears in the image, a nod to their shared history inside the Octagon.

And that small inclusion was enough to spark a humorous reaction from ‘The Last Stylebender’, who responded on social media.

Israel Adesanya posts ‘The Boys’ video after Alex Pereira cover reveal

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Adesanya took to Instagram to share a video that mirrored his reaction to Pereira’s cover spot. He used a clip from the Prime Video series The Boys, specifically a scene featuring The Deep venting frustration in a bar.

In the scene, the character exclaims: “Hey, that’s my shoulder. Right there it’s my f—— shoulder. They cut me from the picture, they cut me from the f—— picture. They can’t cut me out!”

The comparison was clear, with ‘The Last Stylebender’ joking about being cropped out of the UFC 6 cover despite his rivalry with Pereira playing a major role in recent UFC history.

Adesanya also captioned the post with Pereira’s trademark phrase “chama”, underlining that there is no real tension between the two fighters at this stage.

Israel Adesanya still searching for momentum late in career

While the moment showed his humour, Adesanya’s competitive situation remains challenging. His last victory came against Pereira in April 2023.

Since that night, he has fought four times and suffered defeat in each outing. The run has raised questions about his position among the elite in the division.