Israel Adesanya DEFEATS Alex Pereira to reclaim his UFC middleweight title belt

Israel Adesanya reclaimed his middleweight title after beating long-term rival Alex Pereira in stunning fashion at UFC 287. 

‘The Last Stylebender’ produced a brutal second-round knockout to seal a victory over the Brazilian fighter and take back the title that he lost in November last year.

It was the fourth time that the two middleweights had met, their second inside the octagon, and it was the first occasion in which Adesanya has come out on top. 

And he did so in style, as he battled back from adversity to deliver the crushing blow mid-way through the second round. 

The opening five minutes of the fight had been dominated by calf-kicks and jabs, mainly from Pereira, as both fighters tried to find their distance inside the octagon.

The ‘Last Stylerbender’ emerged victorious over long-term rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287

The middleweight stood with his arms in a ‘bow’ shape, aimed at Pereira, after the knockout

It was the first time that Adesanya has been able to defeat Pereira in four separate encounters

And, once that was determined, the fireworks began. Pereira looked as though he was taking the offensive inside the octagon, as he marched towards his rival.

The Brazilian landed a flurry of shots, including a heavy knee to the body, that had Adesanya with his back to the cage and fans fearing another defeat was coming. 

But, ‘Stylebender’ quickly recovered, evaded an incoming shot from Pereira and returned with a brutal right-hand of his own that sent his rival stumbling. 

Once he smelt blood, Adesanya ramped up the pressure and quickly landed another crushing right that forced Pereira to the canvas. 

The hammer fists followed and, quickly enough, the fight was waved away. The Nigerian rose to his feet and produced the motion of a bow towards his opponent, suggesting that he’d been ‘hunted’.

He reiterated this on the microphone just moments after the stunning knockout, as he told Joe Rogan and the rest of the Kaseya Center: ‘I told you, the hunter is now the hunted. I thought I told him this before but thank you. Thank you for beating me. 

‘By beating me, he made me a better fighter. A better person. In this camp, I didn’t f*** around. If you know me, you know I like a vacation but I didn’t f*** around. I stayed on the grind.’

As mentioned before, this was Adesanya and Pereira’s fourth encounter but just their second in the UFC, after Pereira took the middleweight title last year.

The Brazilian scored a TKO victory that stunned the MMA world and left questions over the legacy of Adesanya. However, he returned triumphant with the huge knockout on Saturday night. 

The two middleweights had traded huge shots before Adesanya landed the crucial blow

The middleweight champion went on to suggest that Pereira had been ‘hunted’ 

Pereira was left dazed, confused and on the ground after huge shots from Adesanya

Elsewhere, in the card’s co-main event, UFC legend Jorge Masvidal confirmed his retirement from the sport after defeat to Gilbert Burns.

The two welterweights battled it out over fifteen minutes inside the octagon, with Burns proving his dominance from the second round onwards.

Masvidal had started well and had landed some nice leg-kicks that was causing concern for his Brazilian counterpart. 

But, in the second round, Burns’ expertise on the ground showed it’s worth as he secured a takedown and maintained control for the majority of the round. 

And the third saw a depleted Masvidal marching forwards but being on the receiving end of some huge right-hands from his welterweight counterpart. 

‘I love all of you. Thank you everybody for watching. This is where I started my career. Sometimes your favorite basketball player ain’t got that three-pointer no more, your favorite quarterback loses that rifle.

‘It’s been 20-something years. I’m a multi-millionaire. I had nothing when I started. I’m out,’ he said. 

Jorge Masvidal retired from UFC on the spot after being beaten by Gilbert Burns in Miami

Seeing off the rest of the main card, Rob Font produced a spectacular first-round knockout over bantamweight rival Adrien Yanez.

Kevin Holland managed to get a KO victory in the final round of his fight with Santiago Ponzinibbio, after landing a huge right-hand on his opponent. 

Ponzinibbio protested with the referee but, ultimately, it seemed as though the right decision had been made.

And 18-year-old prospect Raul Rosas Jr. was handed a shock unanimous decision defeat to Christian Rodriguez to kick-start the main card.