Israel Adesanya on Sunday reclaimed the UFC Middleweight title after coldly knocking Alex Pereira out in the main event of UFC 287.
It took two rounds for Adesanya to bring down his opponent at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.
This was the fourth fight between the pair, with Pereira beating Adesanya twice in kickboxing before following the Nigerian-New Zealander into mixed martial arts, where he took Adesanya’s UFC title with a TKO in November.
However tables turned in the early hours of Sunday, as Adesanya from nowhere pulled the knockout blow, sending Pereira crashing on the floor.
Pereira was initially on the offense unleashing body hooks and a knee to the ribs, with Adesanya backed against the cage, but the challenger threw a right hook out of the blues and the Brazilian was on a downward spiral afterwards.
The hook froze Pereira, and Adesanya took the champion out cold with a one-two and finishing the fight with a hammer fist.
The two have fought four times in the last seven years and Adesanya has been in the shadows of the Brazilian since 2017 when they first met in a kick-boxing bout, causing the Nigerian to described his victory over Pereira as a sweet revenge.
“I don’t throw and hope, I aim and fire!” – Me 🏹 pic.twitter.com/jYCReHrrMk
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) April 9, 2023