Israel Adesanya gets revenge on Alex Pereira, shoots down arrows after brutal Knockout

After years of searching, Israel Adesanya finally landed the punches that he needed

to become the UFC middleweight champion once again. The event took place on Saturday, as the main event at Kaseya Center in Miami. Adesanya (23-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) faced off against Alex Pereira (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in a highly anticipated rematch that MMA fans have been waiting for. The fight was the fourth time the two rivals had faced off in combat sports, and the second time in MMA. This was the first time that Adesanya emerged as the victor.

 

Pereira had won the first three fights in the series, including a TKO victory over Adesanya at UFC 281 in November, which earned him the UFC title. Both of Pereira's stoppage victories were late-round comebacks, which only added to the tension between the two fighters.

 

The first round of the fight was a leg kick battle. Adesanya utilized his technical striking skills, while Pereira leaned on his signature power. The opening five minutes were a close point-fighting match, with both fighters trying to gain the upper hand. The second round saw both fighters become more aggressive, with Pereira landing a hard knee and punches combination.

 

With Adesanya backed up against the cage, Pereira attempted to land more strikes. However, Adesanya had other plans and landed two devastating right hands that left Pereira stunned. Adesanya followed up with a massive hammerfist, which put Pereira on the canvas. Referee Dan Miragliotta quickly intervened to save Pereira, and the match was over at 4:21 of Round 2.

 

The win sparked an exuberant celebration from Adesanya. He stood over his rival and pretended to shoot arrows at him, a playful reference to Pereira's signature walkout motions. He then broke out into a dance before finally having the UFC middleweight title wrapped around his waist once again.

 

Adesanya, 33, regained his title after losing to Pereira by TKO in November at UFC 281. With the victory, he now has a record of 8-2 in UFC title fights, and he embarks on his second stint as the middleweight champion.

 

Pereira, 35, who made a full transition to MMA in 2020, suffered his first loss since his professional debut in 2015. Despite being fast-tracked to the title, Pereira lost to Adesanya, ending his championship reign.