Nigerian-New Zealander professional mixed martial artist, Israel Adesanya is back on the winners side as he reclaimed his middleweight throne with a second-round knockout win over Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 headline event.
The Adesanya-Pereira rivalry built up to this fourth fight between the pair with Pereira beating the Nigerian born New Zealander twice in Kickboxing and once in their mixed martial arts bout in November last year.
Adesanya landed a devastating right hook on Pereira before ensuring the victory by knocking him out cold with a few combinations and a powerful hammer fist.
The win over Pereira is Adesanya’s 24th in his career in mixed martial arts (MMA) and he had suffered just two losses.
Now the question shifts to what happens next for the champion. Only five months have passed since the two last fought. It certainly didn’t sound like he was interested in another immediate rematch.
At the UFC 287 weigh-ins, Adesanya noted the rematch meant “everything,” and it’s “one and done.”