Israel Adesanya knocks out Alex Pereira to recapture UFC title

MIAMI — Israel Adesanya didn't just exorcise his demons. He put them to sleep.

Alex Pereira beat Adesanya three times, twice in kickboxing and twice by knockout. On Saturday night, Adesanya returned the favor and got the albatross off from around his neck for good.

Adesanya knocked out Pereira with several brutal right hands at 4 minutes, 21 seconds of the second round in the main event of UFC 287 here at Kaseya Center. With the violent victory, Adesanya regained the UFC middleweight championship. He's the first two-time middleweight champion in UFC history and only the fourth out of 15 fighters to win their titles back in an immediate rematch.

«I hope every one of you behind the screen, in this arena, can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life,» Adesanya said in his postfight interview. «I hope all of you can feel how f---ing happy I am right now.… But you never feel this level of happiness if you don't go for something.»

Pereira was doing well again Saturday night. He had Adesanya against the cage, ripping off combinations. Adesanya said afterward that he was playing possum. He countered with a massive right hand that hurt Pereira, then followed up with another right and a left hook that put Pereira down.

Adesanya put a stamp on the victory with a hammerfist as referee Dan Miragliotta pulled him away and stopped the fight. Pereira was unconscious.

«That last one had everything,» Adesanya said. «That was since 2017. That last hammerfist was from the gods.»

With Pereira prone on the canvas, Adesanya stood over him and made a motion like he was pulling back on a bow and arrow. It's the same taunt Pereira uses, including during his entrance Saturday night.

«The hunter became the hunted,» Adesanya said.

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