Israel Adesanya Reclaims UFC Middleweight Championship With A Stunning Knockout Of Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya, the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion, reclaimed his title by delivering a devastating knockout of challenger Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 287.

iexclusivenews reports that Adesanya, who is known for his striking prowess, was able to land a powerful punch to the head of Pereira in the second round, ending the fight and reclaiming the title.

Adesanya had previously failed to defeat Pereira in three attempts, twice in kickboxing and once in the UFC, dating back to their first encounter in 2016. Two of those losses were due to stoppages

This online news understands that Adesanya defeated Robert Whittaker to become the UFC Middleweight Champion in October of 2019 and successfully defended the title against Yoel Romero back in March 2020.

Pereira had earned his title shot after winning four fights in a row, including a win over former interim middleweight champion Kelvin Gastelum.

The fight began with both fighters feeling each other out, as Pereira looked to use his reach advantage to land kicks from the outside. Adesanya, meanwhile, looked to close the distance and land his own strikes. Both fighters had their moments in the first round, with Pereira having the edge in terms of strikes landed.

READ ALSO:Khamzat Chimaev Demands for Israel Adesanya title fight after UFC 253

The second round began with Pereira trying to keep the fight at range, but Adesanya was able to close the distance and land a powerful punch that sent Pereira crashing to the canvas. Pereira was unable to recover, and the referee stopped the fight, giving Adesanya the knockout victory and the title.

What You Should Know

The victory was especially impressive given the fact that Adesanya had to overcome a significant reach disadvantage, as well as the fact that Pereira was on a four-fight winning streak. The victory cemented Adesanya’s place as one of the best fighters in the sport, and he looks to have a long and successful title reign ahead of him.

[the_ad id=”41670″]

Watch The Video Here

“They say revenge is sweet, and if you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth. You already know, this is f***ing sweet,” Adesanya said.

“Alex is a great champion, no matter what. He will always be a great champion, but he lost the belt tonight. In his story, I’m the antagonist. In his story, I’m the bad guy. But tonight it’s my story. History.

“I told [Alex] just before, ‘Thank you for all you’ve done, thank you for beating me’, because [in] beating me, he made me a better fighter and a better person. In this camp, I didn’t f*** around … I stayed on the grind, and I put myself through it.”

Israel Adesanya’s stunning knockout of Alex Pereira was an impressive display of striking prowess, and it allowed Adesanya to reclaim the UFC Middleweight Championship.

The victory was especially impressive given the fact that Adesanya had to overcome a significant reach disadvantage, as well as the fact that Pereira was on a four-fight winning streak. Adesanya looks to have a long and successful title reign ahead of him, and the victory has cemented his place as one of the best fighters in the UFC.