UFC 287: Adesanya knocks out Pereira to get revenge, title back
Israel Adesanya has exacted sweet revenge on Alex Pereira in their rematch, reclaiming his UFC title with a savage knockout blow.
Israel Adesanya has claimed sweet revenge with a brutal knockout win over Alex Pereira in their rematch at UFC 287.
Pereira beat Adesanya in November to dethrone the middleweight champion but he was determined to take back his belt in Pereira’s first title defence.
Watch UFC 287: Pereira v Adesanya 2 LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday April 9 from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >
The pair traded calf kicks in the opening round in Miami, a tactic that worked well for Pereira last year.
But Adesanya had a steely look in his eyes and he had an answer for Pereira as the tempo lifted in the second round.
The Brazilian landed a jab but just as it looked like he had the upper hand, Adesanya hit back with two huge punches that immediately floored Pereira.
Adesanya jumped on top and landed a hammer fist to seal victory via TKO in the second round.
WATCH ADESANYA’S KO IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
This win was extra special for Adesanya. He let out a visceral scream and celebrated by pretending to shoot bow and arrows at Pereira’s limp body.
“That last one (punch) had everything, since 2017,” Adesanya said, referencing his second kickboxing loss to Pereira.
He then delivered the ice cold line: “That last hammer fist was from the gods.”
UFC commentator Jon Anik said Pereira was “knocked out cold”.
Joe Rogan exclaimed: “Oh my goodness! That might be one of the greatest KOs I’ve ever seen in my life.”
THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED 🹠#UFC287pic.twitter.com/J6ixiwWiit
— UFC (@ufc) April 9, 2023
It was an emphatic statement by Adesanya, who had lost two kickboxing fights to Pereira in addition to last year’s UFC loss.
He was desperate to prove Pereira didn’t have his number and did just that, defeating a fighter many believed was unbeatable.
The win takes Adesanya’s MMA record to 24-2 and cements his legacy as one of the greatest UFC fighters ever.
Adesanya vs Pereira round-by-round updates:
Round 1: Adesanya and Pereira trade plenty of calf kicks, showing their kickboxing prowess.
The tactic worked well for Pereira in their first fight but Adesanya is kicking better early.
“Izzy has an angry look in his face,” Joe Rogan said in commentary. 10-9 Adesanya.
Round 2: Both fighters opened their shoulders and started throwing punches. Pereira landed a couple of blows but just as he corned Adesanya against the fence, the Kiwi countered with a 1-2 punch that floored Pereira.
Adesanya jumped on top of him and that was it.
2.20pm - Gilbert burns Masvidal
Gilbert Burns has defeated Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision in the co-main to stay up in the top echelon of the welterweight rankings.
Masvidal, 38, fought in front of a home Miami crowd but looked off the pace and did well to hang in for three rounds.
The UFC veteran announced his retirement in the octagon afterwards, ending his 20-year career with a speech that included a shoutout to former US President Donald Trump, who was watching on in the arena.
1.45pm - Brutal 3-min KO demolition
Rob Font has brutalised Adrian Yanez to get his first UFC win in two years with a demolition job.
The bantamweight bout lasted only three minutes into the first round as Font used Yanez’s face as a punching bag for countless jabs.
With Yanez’s nose bloody, Font finished the job with a savage right hook that sent Yanez flying to the canvas and seeing stars as the ref stepped in.
OH MY GOD ROB FONT #UFC287pic.twitter.com/gUS5dFaCJW
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 9, 2023
ROB FONT ARE YOU SERIOUS!? 😱😱 #UFC287
— UFC (@ufc) April 9, 2023
That Font uppercut! Jeeeez! Changed the entire tempo quick, man! Yanez was landing some slick shots too. Damn. This division is insane! #UFC287
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 9, 2023
12.15pm - Brutal war the ‘fight of the year’
In the last of the prelim fights, Kelvin Gastelum defeated Chris Curtis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) in an epic middleweight scrap that’s already been called the fight of the year.
In his first fight in 18 months, No. 13 middleweight contender Gastelum absorbed some heavy blows from Curtis but was better over the three rounds.
“This is the best version of Kelvin, this is when we see Kelvin the world title contender,” Joe Rogan said in commentary.
“This feels better than any win he’s had after the time he’s had away,” Daniel Cormier added.
UFC writer Daniel Yanofsky described it as a “fight of the night/fight of the year candidate”.
It was crazy fight #UFC287@KelvinGastelum ðŸ‘
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) April 9, 2023
Kelvin Gastelum has been out for more than a year, and while his record recently hasn't shown it, he's still a killer. What a fight. #UFC287
— Daniel Yanofsky (@DanYanofsky) April 9, 2023
Now that was a scrap! My goodness. Take a bow, Kelvin Gastelum and Chris Curtis — that was sensational. #UFC287
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) April 9, 2023
11.45pm - ‘Drake curse’ threatens to strike again
Canadian rapper Drake will have fans of Israel Adesanya worried after he put a massive bet on him to beat Pereira.
Drake has wagered a total of $900,000 on Adesanya to reclaim his middleweight title and for him to do it via a knockout.
He’s also bet a total of $500,000 on Jorge Masvidal to beat Gilbert Burns via KO.
Drake shared his wagers in an Instagram post captioned: “Off the leash”.
The rapper has a long history of betting huge amounts of money on sporting events, but his poor conversion rate has become known as the ‘Drake Curse’.
For Adesanya and Masvidal’s sake, here’s hoping the curse doesn’t strike again.
11.30pm - Adesanya desperate to win back belt
Israel Adesanya has claimed underdog status but is adamant he can defeat Pereira for the first time ever and win back the middleweight belt he owned for so long.
“Not many people get the opportunity to show how great they are, to rise to the occasion when all the odds are stoked against them and people are counting them out,” Adesanya said earlier this week.
“And for me, this fight, I feel like the underdog. I feel like everyone is counting me out. I feel like because of the result of the last fight, goldfish memory. They forgot what I’ve done in this game. It’s time to remind people how great I am.”
MAIN CARD
Israel Adesanya def Alex Pereira TKO (R2 punches)
Gilbert Burns def Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
Rob Font def Adrian Yanez via TKO (R1)
Kevin Holland def Santiago Ponzinibbio via TKO (R3)
Christian Rodriguez def Raul Rosas JR via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
PRELIMS
Kelvin Gastelum def Chris Curtis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Luana Pinheiro def Michelle Waterson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Joe Pyfer def Gerald Meerschaert via first-round TKO (punches)
Loopy Godinez def Cynthia Calvillo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Ignacio Bahamondes def Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Steve Garcia def Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via second-round TKO (strikes)
Sam Hughes def Jaqueline Amorim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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