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Israel Adesanya electrifies UFC fans with wild knockout of Alex Pereira

Israel Adesanya made good on his vow to give UFC fans something to remember when he faced Alex Pereira once again.

chris young
Sports Reporter
·5-min read
Israel Adesanya celebrates with the UFC middleweight belt on the left, and looks over a knocked out Alex Pereira on the right.
Israel Adesanya captivated the UFC world with his thrilling KO victory over Alex Pereira. Pictures: Getty Images

Israel Adesanya all but sent the MMA world into complete meltdown after his stunning knockout victory over heated rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287. Adesanya made good on his vow to finally topple Pereira in their fourth fight, having been beaten thrice before by the Brazilian fighter.

The pair's bitter rivalry dates back well before either fighter joined the UFC, with Pereira scoring two victories over Adesanya on the kickboxing circuit before the pair faced off at UFC 281. There, Adesanya lost his middleweight title after Pereira scored a fifth-round knockout against the self-proclaimed 'StyleBender'.

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Adesanya immediately lobbied for a rematch, with the pair squaring off in several spiteful interviews before finally facing off in the ring on Sunday. After a tactical first round in which neither fighter landed any notable strikes, Adesanya seized control in an instant in the second round.

Backed up into the cage fence as he defended a flurry of blows from Pereira, Adesanya unleashed a devastating right hand, then another to end the fight in a split second. UFC commentator Joe Rogan said it was 'one of the greatest KOs I have ever seen in my life'.

Meanwhile, fans were in a frenzy on social media. Perhaps the only man more worked up than UFC fans was Adesanya himself, who embarked on a series of elaborate celebrations around the ring after the KO was called.

"I hope every one of you behind the screens at this arena can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life," he said after the fight. "I hope all of you can feel how happy I am just one time in your life.

"But you'll never feel this level of happiness if you don't go for something in your own life. When they knock you down, when they try and s**t on you, when they talk s**t about you, and they try and put their foot on your neck, if you stay down you will never ever get that resolve.

"Fortify you mind and feel this level of happiness one time as you rise. But I'm blessed to feel this s**t again and again and again and again."

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It was a brilliant performance by Adesanya, who kept forward pressure for most of the fight. He didn’t want to back up much and allow Pereira to put on the heavy pressure. Adesanya was switching stances a lot and Pereira was going after the front leg repeatedly. It seemed to be taking a toll on Adesanya.

But he knew what he was doing all along and said he set Pereira up for the finish. He wasn’t hurt but made Pereira believe he was and set him up for the most dramatic win of his career. And he got the win he coveted the most.

Israel Adesanya celebrates as Alex Pereira lays on the canvas being attended to by medial staff.
Israel Adesanya avenged his prior UFC loss against Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight title. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

“Bro, they say revenge is sweet and you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth,” Adesanya said. “You already know: This is f***ing sweet.”

Earlier, Jorge Masvidal fought Gilbert Burns needing a win to avoid the first four-fight losing streak of his career, but it wasn't meant to be as Burns outworked "Gamebred" en route to a unanimous decision victory. Masvidal looked every bit a fighter on his last legs, but Burns have the Miami wildcard plenty of respect throughout, refusing to overcommit.

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