Stephen Dunmoye
Following the loss to Alex Pereira in November, Israel Adesanya decided to win back his middleweight title as he brutally knocked out Pereira in the second round.
Adesanya suffered a controversial points loss to Pereira in their first fight, a kickboxing match. In their rematch in kickboxing, Adesanya was leading but was knocked out.
Likewise, in November 2022, in their first MMA clash, again Adesanya was ahead, but he was beaten in the final round.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, on his fourth attempt, Adesanya, fondly known as The Last Stylebender, finally got his win over Pereira, and in stunning fashion with a knockout at minute 4:21 of Round 2.
The opening round was a razor-close affair. Pereira seemed intent to mirror his strategy form their first fight, throwing an array of leg kicks and attacking Adesanya’s calf, while the Kiwi-Nigerian had some success with his counters, particularly with his body kicks.
Pereira came out with more aggression in the second round, pressing forward with a couple of blitzes that Adesanya was game to, responding with some crisp counter shots.
