As Ngannou calls the middleweight champion “best of all time,” MMA fans have flooded social media with reactions to Israel Adesanya’s second‑round knockout of Alex Pereira at the FTX Arena in Miami on Sunday morning. The main event highlighted the long‑standing rivalry between the two fighters, and it was the Nigerian‑born Adesanya who emerged victorious, ending their four‑fight saga.
The bout intensified in the second round as both men exchanged a flurry of blows. Pereira’s aggressive assault stunned the audience, but Adesanya delivered the decisive strike that knocked Pereira out cold. The knockout left spectators in the arena—and viewers at home—in disbelief, prompting a wave of social‑media commentary.
Nigeria Mixed Martial Arts Federation president Henry George congratulated Adesanya, saying, “This is a win for all of us, a nation. Congratulations champ, you made us proud once again.” Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou praised Adesanya’s performance, writing, “The best middleweight of all time and I’m not arguing with anyone. @stylebender.” A Twitter user, Fatime (@TKOverit), exclaimed, “HOLY SH*T ADESANYA DID IT THAT WAS INCREDIBLE #UFC287.” Pooja Media hailed Nigerian fighters abroad and called out Kamaru Usman, saying, “Anthony Joshua won, Israel Adesanya won, Usman is next. Naija, e dide.” Former pound‑for‑pound number one Terrance McKinney expressed his amazement: “Izzy is back! let’s go! wow that’s huge.” American mixed‑martial artist Michael Chandler celebrated the “Last Stylebender’s” return to the middleweight summit: “Woooooooow! Izzy is back in a big way! #ufc287.” Three‑time Swedish national champion Khamzat Chimaev sent both congratulations and a challenge: “Congratulations @stylebender. see you soon.”
The rivalry between Adesanya and Pereira dates back to their kickboxing days, and UFC 287 finally gave them the chance to settle the score inside the octagon. Although Pereira entered as the champion, his performance appeared lackluster compared to Adesanya’s, who fully capitalized on the opportunity.
During the post‑fight press conference, Adesanya declared that his saga with Pereira was over: “It’s done. He’s had his story, now it’s my story. I’ve closed that chapter and I move on.” He noted that he never had to grant Pereira a title shot last year but did so for the challenge, adding that if a rematch were to happen, Pereira would need to earn it: “I did the hard yards and I earned my f***ing rematch… now he has to do the hard yards if he wants to do it.” However, Adesanya expressed doubt that Pereira will stay at middleweight, predicting a move to light heavyweight—a view shared by UFC president Dana White.
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