UFC 287 LIVE: Adesanya knocks out Pereira – result
Follow the fallout: Adesanya regains the middleweight belt from long-time rival Pereira, after Jorge Masvidal retires with a loss to Gilbert Burns
Israel Adesanya knocked Alex Pereira out cold to regain the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 287.
It was the fourth fight between the pair, with Pereira beating Adesanya twice in kickboxing before following the Nigerian-New Zealander into mixed martial arts, where he took Adesanya’s UFC title with a TKO in November.
But at the fourth time of asking, Adesanya finally beat his long-time rival, freezing Pereira with a right hook in Round 2 before dropping the champion with a one-two and finishing the fight with a hammer fist.
In the co-main event, Jorge Masvidal suffered a points loss to Gilbert Burns before retiring from MMA. Masvidal, in front of a home crowd in Miami, called time on a 20-year career and praised former US president Donald Trump, who was ringside.
Trump sat in the front row with Mike Tyson and UFC president Dana White, and the Miami-Dade Arena crowd erupted when the 76-year-old arrived.
Re-live updates and see full results from UFC 287, below. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.
UFC 287 LIVE: Israel Adesanya knocks out Alex Pereira
Dancing his way out of the Octagon...
UFC 287 LIVE: Israel Adesanya knocks out Alex Pereira
In their last fight, in November, Adesanya stunned Pereira with a second left in the first round and landed an extra punch on the buzzer.
The consensus is that one more punch – one more second – would have been enough for Adesanya to get the win.
The way he switched off Pereira’s system tonight was so similar to that moment in their last clash. Even the way Pereira tilted after the first punch was similar tonight.
UFC 287 LIVE: Israel Adesanya knocks out Alex Pereira
Adesanya says he was “playing possum” against the fence, waiting for a moment to strike.
And when he struck, boy, did he strike. It was a clean right hook from nowhere, and it stunned Pereira still. The next shot was another right hook to put down Pereira.
One hammer fist, and the fight was waved off, but Pereira was already out cold after the second hook.
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