Israel Adesanya has reclaimed his middleweight throne in UFC 287 by knocking out Alex Pereira in the second round, which took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The first round of the fight was slow, with few notable strikes from both fighters, making it difficult to score. However, the fight came to an abrupt end when Adesanya delivered an amazing knockout blow after Pereira had pressured him against the cage.
Adesanya must have felt relieved to have won the fight as Pereira has been a challenging opponent for him throughout his martial arts career. Having lost twice to Pereira when they were both kickboxers, he needed to win this fight.
However, it remains to be seen what Adesanya’s next move will be. At the UFC 287 weigh-ins, He had previously mentioned that the rematch meant “everything,” but it was also “one and done.”
It may be beneficial for both fighters to take a break from their rivalry, as they have fought twice in a short span. It would be wise for the promotion to consider matching them with fresh opponents before renewing the rivalry.
Given the storied history between the two fighters and Adesanya’s record of dominance in the middleweight division, it is likely that there will be a fifth chapter of this rivalry at some point in the future.
