Nigeria’s Isreal Adesanya has reclaimed his UFC middleweight belt from his Brazilian opponent Alex Pereira in a Technical Knockout.
It took Israel Adesanya just two rounds to end Alex Pereira’s dominance and reclaim the middleweight title he lost last November.
Adesanya suffered a controversial points loss to Pereira in their first fight. In their kickboxing rematch, Adesanya was leading but was again knocked out. In November 2022, in their first MMA clash, again Adesanya was ahead, but he was beaten in the final round.
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On Sunday, in his fourth attempt, Adesanya, fondly known as The Last Stylebender, finally got his win over Pereira, and in shocking fashion with a knockout at 4 minutes 21 seconds of Round 2.
The opening round was a razor-close affair. Pereira’s intention was to repeat his strategy from their first fight, throwing an array of kicks and attacking Adesanya’s calf, while the Kiwi-Nigerian had some success with his counters, particularly with his body kicks.
Pereira came out with more aggression in the second round, pressing forward with a couple of blitzes that Adesanya was equal to, responding with some crisp counter shots. With superior firepower, Adesanya eventually prevailed and this led to his victory.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
