Israel Adesanya pulled off a surprising knockout win over Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight crown at UFC 287 on the Kaseya Center on Saturday, downing the Brazilian in the second one spherical to avenge his most effective UFC defeat at middleweight.
After a cagey opening body that noticed Pereira goal Adesanya’s lead leg with brutal kicks, the combat burst into existence in the second one, with each males touchdown head kicks early and Adesanya’s crisp boxing starting to inform.
With the second one spherical winding down, Adesanya was once subsidized up in opposition to the cage however he all at once uncorked an enormous proper hand and adopted it up with every other to knock Pereira out chilly and take again the belt he misplaced to the Brazilian in November.
Adesanya adopted Pereira right down to the mat however referee Dan Mirgliotta waved the combat off, returning the Nigerian-born New Zealander to the highest of the middleweight pile, a weight elegance he has ruled for the ultimate 4 years.
“I played possum a bit … look at me, I am here, he is here, that last one (punch) had everything. That last hammer fist was from the gods,” Adesanya mentioned in a post-fight interview within the cage.
The 33-year-old informed the lovers in attendance that he was hoping they’d have the danger to really feel the similar pleasure that he was once feeling in that second.
“If you stay down, you will never ever get that resolve. Fortify your mind and feel this level of happiness as you rise,” mentioned Adesanya, who had by no means overwhelmed Pereira in MMA or kickboxing in 3 earlier conferences.
In the co-main tournament, native favourite Jorge Masvidal introduced his retirement within the cage after dropping a unanimous resolution to Brazil’s Gilbert Burns.
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