Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya in a difficult rematch on Sunday morning, November 13, in what was a disappointing setback for the Nigerian sensation. Adesanya had assured his supporters that he would perform well against his opponent going into this fight, but Pereira was more hungry to become the next UFC middleweight champion.
The Nigerian was completely in control of the fight and had almost ended Alex Pereira at the conclusion of the first round. He seemed to be almost certain to win a decision and continue his impressive championship defence. Then everything changed abruptly. Pereira, who defeated Adesanya in 2016 and 2017, caught him with a devastating right hand that signalled the end of Adesanya’s reign. He then landed a barrage of blows, forcing referee Marc Godard to call a halt to the fight.
In front of a surprised crowd of 20,845, Pereira has now become the UFC champion in only his eighth MMA fight and fourth in the UFC. Meanwhile, Adesanya now has a long road to recovery, yet he has stated his desire for a rematch.