According to UFC commentator John Anik, Israel Adesanya knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC 287 was maybe the greatest victory in the organization’s 30-year history.
In the match, Adesanya ultimately won against his Brazilian rival after three unsuccessful attempts, regaining the 185-pound title in the process.
Anik joined ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on First Take and talked in great depth about Adesanya’s remarkable victory. Anik suggests that it is maybe the most impressive victory in MMA history.
“I might sound like hyperbole and it’s great to be with you guys, but this can be argued as one of the biggest singular wins in mixed martial arts history. The rivalry between these two fighters is well documented.”
“Even though the series was close, it was 3-nill for Alex Pereira and one of the hardest things to do in the UFC in particular is to lose your belt and then win it back. In a span of five months, Izzy was able to do that.”
In the 30-year history of the promotion, Adesanya became only the fourth competitor to reclaim a UFC title in an immediate rematch. Randy Couture, Deiveson Figueiredo, and Amanda Nunes are the other three competitors that have achieved this feat before him.
“I think this win in particular is a lot more about the psychology than the physical. Just getting Izzy’s mind right to actually walk into a combat sports setting down 3-nill and to beat this man like this. I think you can argue it as one of the biggest wins in UFC history.”
For Anik, Adesanya’s win over Pereira combined with his impressive record and performance inside the Octagon has solidified his status as one of the best middleweight champions of all time.
Anik added: “In my humble opinion, [it] cements Israel Adesanya as one of the greatest of all time,”
“There are still people who can argue Anderson Silva as the greatest middleweight champion of all time, and in terms of the title defenses, that is okay. I sit here in 2023 and not just argue for Adesanya’s case as one of the best pound-for-pound guys right now, I think he’s the greatest middleweight champion of all time based upon the strength of scheduled and based on this win.”
Silva’s daughter was quick to fire back:
She penned a post in Portuguese laying out all of Silva’s accomplishments and his place in MMA history:
“I want to make it clear that I’m not here to try to diminish young Adesanya as a fighter and the story he’s building. each one is each one. But, you guys are trying to compare the incomparable. First, the spider’s defenses were a losing streak.”
“So the comparison you’re trying to make is baseless. Second, not only did Spider deliver 10000000% in every battle, it changed people’s views of Sport. He made MMA an ART. His story is only him and no one else. Stop trying to compare the incomparable. Never will be, never will be!”
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