ISRAEL Adesanya has buried his demons and reclaimed the middleweight crown with a stunning second-round knockout victory over Alex Pereira in the main event at UFC 287.
Adesanya and Pereira traded calf kicks early in the first round, with the champion landing a heavy one just a few seconds into the fight.
That continued for much of the round with Pereira throwing kicks to the legs, having already found success with a similar strategy in slowing Adesanya down during their last fight.
It was a relatively uneventful first round in the sense there were no major moments for either fighter, making it a tough one to score, but the persistent calf kicks from Pereira were presenting an early test for the challenger.
Adesanya though answered that challenge and shockingly, backed up to the fence as Pereira unloaded before shutting the lights out with a thundering right hand and following it up again to reclaim his throne.
“Oh my goodness,” the commentary team repeated.
“Alex Pereira did not respect the power coming back in his way and he paid for it,” Daniel Cormier said.
“That may be one of the greatest KOs I have ever seen in my life,” added Joe Rogan.
Eighteen-Eleven Media