Israel Adesanya has reclaimed his Middleweight title after beating long-term rival, Alex Pereira, in stunning fashion at UFC 287.
‘The Last Stylebender’ produced a brutal second-round knockout to seal a victory over the Brazilian fighter and take back the title that he lost in November last year.
It was the fourth time that the two middleweights had met, their second inside the octagon, and it was the first occasion in which Adesanya has come out on top.
And he did so in style, as he battled back from adversity to deliver the crushing blow mid-way through the second round.
The opening five minutes of the fight had been dominated by calf-kicks and jabs, mainly from Pereira, as both fighters tried to find their distance inside the octagon.
It was the first time that Adesanya has been able to defeat Pereira in four separate encounters.
Pereira looked as though he was taking the offensive inside the octagon, as he marched towards his rival.
The Brazilian landed a flurry of shots, including a heavy knee to the body, that had Adesanya with his back to the cage and fans fearing another defeat was coming.
But, ‘Stylebender’ quickly recovered, evaded an incoming shot from Pereira and returned with a brutal right-hand of his own that sent his rival stumbling.
Once he smelt blood, Adesanya ramped up the pressure and quickly landed another crushing right that forced Pereira to the canvas.
The Nigerian rose to his feet and produced the motion of a bow towards his opponent, suggesting that he’d been ‘hunted’.
He reiterated this on the microphone just moments after the stunning knockout, as he told Joe Rogan and the rest of the Kaseya Center: ‘I told you, the hunter is now the hunted. I thought I told him this before but thank you. Thank you for beating me.
The Brazilian scored a TKO victory that stunned the MMA world and left questions over the legacy of Adesanya. However, he returned triumphant with the huge knockout on Saturday night.
