Israel Adesanya on Sunday morning knocked out Alex Pereira in the second round to reclaim the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title in the main event of UFC 287 at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida.
Adesanya’s stunner came out of nowhere while his opponent was throwing body hooks and a knee to the ribs with Adesanya back against the cage.
The champion’s first right-hand punch froze Pereira, while the second sent him to the canvas, followed by a few more punches before the referee stopped the aggressor.
Adesanya then celebrated by imitating firing arrows at his rival.
The Nigerian-born New Zealand fighter had suffered a controversial points loss to Pereira in their first fight and was knocked out by the Brazilian in a second fight, both kickboxing. In their first Mixed Martial Arts clash in November, Adesanya lost yet again in the final round.
‘The Last Stylebender’ finally got his win over Pereira this time, reclaiming the UFC middleweight title with a record of 26 wins and 2 losses in MMA.