Israel Adesanya reclaimed the UFC middleweight title from Alex Pereira in the main event of UFC 287 at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, on Sunday morning. The knockout came unexpectedly: Pereira had been on the offensive, delivering body hooks and a knee to the ribs while Adesanya was backed against the cage. Suddenly, Adesanya threw a right hook that caught Pereira off guard, freezing him in the same manner as the end of the first round of their previous fight. This time, however, there was no buzzer to save Pereira; the subsequent punch dropped him, and he was rendered unconscious.
After the victory, Adesanya celebrated by mimicking the firing of arrows at his rival. Their rivalry dates back to a controversial points loss for Adesanya in a kickboxing match against Pereira. In a later kickboxing rematch, Adesanya was leading before being knocked out. Their first MMA encounter in November saw Adesanya ahead until he was defeated in the final round. Over seven years and four fights, “The Last Stylebender” finally secured a decisive win over Pereira, and he did so in spectacular fashion.
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