Adesanya gets ‘sweet revenge’ with knockout UFC win over Pereira

World
By William

Israel Adesanya regains middleweight championship from Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in Miami.

Israel Adesanya secured a stunning knockout win over Alex Pereira to reclaim the middleweight crown at UFC 287 in Miami, defeating the Brazilian in the second round to avenge his only UFC defeat at middleweight.

Adesanya wanted a quick rematch after a November loss to Pereira stripped him of the 185-pound (84 kg) championship belt he had held since 2019.

At UFC 287 at the Kaseya Center late Saturday, Adesanya dropped middleweight champion Pereira with two right hands before raising his fists in triumph as he reclaimed his middleweight championship belt, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport . .

“I hope that behind the screen or in this arena, each of you can feel this level of happiness just once in your life,” said Adesanya. “But guess what, you’re never going to feel this level of happiness if you don’t go for something.”

After a restrained opening frame in which Pereira hit Adesanya’s lead leg with brutal kicks, the fight burst to life in the second as both men landed heads early and began to narrate Adesanya’s sharp boxing.

Pereira (7-2) landed on one knee that pushed Adesanya (24-2) into the cage in the second round. Adesanya came out of the cage with two right hooks and a right hammer fist, followed by ground and pound to end the fight at 4:21.

Pereira, 35, had never lost to Adesanya, 33. Before earning a TKO win for the welterweight belt at UFC 281 in November, Pereira had beaten Adesanya twice in kickboxing.

Born in Nigeria and raised in New Zealand, Adesanya entered the UFC in 2018 and won the middleweight belt a year later when he defeated then-champion Robert Whittaker in a stunning knockout.

He successfully defended his title five times as he became one of the sport’s main draws. He found himself in unfamiliar territory as a challenger on Saturday.

“They say revenge is sweet,” Adesanya said. “And if you know me, I have a sweet tooth.”

“I played a little possum. … That last [punch] had everything. That last hammer fist was from the gods,’ Adesanya said.

Jorge Masvidal calls career time

In the co-main event, Jorge Masvidal (35-17) lost a unanimous decision to fifth-seeded welterweight contender Gilbert Burns (22-5) despite fighting in his hometown of Miami for the first time in 20 years.

Burns hurt Masvidal with a series of shots to the head, and Masvidal appeared breathless as the fight progressed. Afterwards, Burns paid respects to the veteran Masvidal.

“We’re here because of this guy, 52 pro fights,” Burns told the crowd, who chanted “Let’s go, Jorge” during the fight. “Give it up for your husband.”

Masvidal, 38, entered the bout on a three-fight losing streak, having lost back-to-back title challenges to Kamaru Usman and a unanimous decision to longtime rival Colby Covington.

Masvidal appeared to retire from the sport after the loss.

“It’s been a long 20 years, 50-something fights,” said Masvidal, who joined the UFC in 2013. “Sometimes your favorite basketball player doesn’t have that 3-pointer anymore. Your favorite quarterback loses that shotgun. And I don’t feel the same way when I come in here.

Veteran Rob Font (20-6) snapped Adrian Yanez’s (16-3) nine-fight winning streak with a knockout at 2:57 in the first round. They traded shots before Font landed a powerful right hook that dropped Yanez. Font, returning to pay-per-view for the first time in five years, finished the fight ground and pound.

“It’s been a while since I got a finish,” said Font. “I needed this finish for myself. I needed it for my team. I needed it for my family.”

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