Breaking News Live 24
Related Articles
Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya, 3 times, twice through knockout and again through kickboxing. Israel Adesanya repaid the favour on Saturday night by permanently removing an albatross from his neck.
In the biggest match of UFC 287 at the Kaseya Center, Israel Adesanya brutally struck Pereira numerous times in the 2nd round before knocking him out. Israel Adesanya reclaimed the UFC middleweight title with a brutal triumph. He is only the fourth fighter out of 15 to win their crowns back in a quick rematch. He is the 1st middleweight winner of the UFC to win the title twice.
Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 main event results for UFC 287
In the 2nd round, Pereira (7-2) delivered a knee that drove Israel Adesanya (24-2) through the ring. At 4:21, Israel Adesanya finished the match by coming off the ring with 2 right hooks, a right hammer the fist, and ground and pound.
Israel Adesanya was an opponent that 35-year-old Pereira had never lost. Before defeating Adesanya twice in kickboxing to capture the welterweight title at UFC 281 in November, Pereira had won two kickboxing matches.
Israel Adesanya, who was raised in New Zealand but was born in Nigeria, joined the UFC in 2018 and claimed the middleweight championship in 2019 by stunningly knocking out Robert Whittaker.
He was able to successfully defend his championship five times as he rose to prominence in the sport. As the opponent on Saturday, he was in uncharted terrain.
“They say revenge is sweet,” Adesanya said. “And if you know me, you know I love sweets.”
Jorge Masvidal (35-17), competing in front of his home crowd as the UFC made its first trip back to Miami in 20 years, was defeated by 5th-ranked welterweight challenger Gilbert Burns in a unanimous decision. (22-5).
In the initial two rounds, the bitter opponents fought one-on-one for the majority of the time, with Pereira chopping at Israel Adesanya’s legs and the challenger showing more forward pressure and eagerness than in their previous encounter. The Last Stylebender unleashed a straight hand that hit flush and stunned the champion just as Pereira moved in to punish a supposedly injured Adesanya. The ensuing right then put the champion on the floor and out cold.
The only loss in Pereira’s prior seven wins came in his MMA debut in 2015, and he entered the match on a seven-fight winning streak. The Brazilian native was previously the middleweight and light heavyweight champion of Glory Kickboxing. Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, trains out of Connecticut with Pereira, 35.
Whatever the case, Alex is a fantastic champion, Adesanya declared. Even though he dropped the trophy tonight, he will always be a champion. I’m the bad guy in his story. I’m the bad guy in his tale, he says. But this evening, it’s my tale. History.”
Given how much weight Pereira must lose to reach the 185-pound middleweight limit, White stated that he thinks Pereira will switch to light heavyweight after this fight.
