Israel Adesanya defeated Alex Pereira by second-round TKO in the main event of UFC 287 on Saturday night, recapturing the UFC middleweight championship.
Adesanya (24-2) knocked Pereira (7-2) down with a right hand early in the second round and then finished him off with a flurry of punches on the ground. The fight was stopped at 4:21 of the round.
The victory was Adesanya's second over Pereira, who had previously beaten him twice in kickboxing. The first fight was a unanimous decision in 2017, and the second fight was a knockout in 2019.
Adesanya is now the undisputed UFC middleweight champion, having won the title in 2019 and defended it 11 times. He is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Pereira, who is a former Glory kickboxing champion, was making his UFC debut in the fight. He had been undefeated in his professional MMA career prior to Saturday night.
The fight was a highly anticipated one, as it was the first time that Adesanya and Pereira had met in MMA. The two fighters had a lot of bad blood between them, and the fight lived up to the hype.
Adesanya started the fight strong, using his speed and striking to control the action. Pereira was able to land some good shots, but Adesanya was able to avoid most of them.
In the second round, Adesanya landed the big right hand that knocked Pereira down. Pereira was able to get back to his feet, but Adesanya was relentless. He continued to pummel Pereira with punches until the fight was stopped.
With the victory, Adesanya has reasserted himself as the best middleweight in the world. He is now the clear number one contender in the division and will likely face the next challenger for his title.
Pereira, despite the loss, has shown that he is a legitimate contender at middleweight. He is a dangerous striker with a lot of power. He will be a tough fight for anyone in the division.
The UFC 287 main event was an exciting and entertaining fight. Adesanya and Pereira put on a show for the fans, and the victory for Adesanya was a statement win. He is now the undisputed UFC middleweight champion and is the clear number one contender in the division.