UFC 287: Adesanya KOes Alex Pereira cold, steals arrow celebration from him

Benny A. King

In a highly anticipated rematch, Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira squared off in the main event of UFC 287. After losing to Pereira three times before, Adesanya was looking to redeem himself and reclaim his title.

The first round saw Adesanya establish his leg kick early on, followed by a pair of punches and another leg kick.

Pereira attempted a head kick, but it didn’t connect cleanly. Adesanya’s jabs started to land, and he successfully backed up Pereira. The leg kicks continued to connect as Adesanya threw fewer strikes.

In the second round, Pereira came out more aggressively, connecting with a head kick and pushing Adesanya to the fence. Adesanya countered with a pair of heavy punches and got his back off the cage. He continued to use his kicks effectively, and another right straight split the guard of Pereira. Adesanya’s volume was too much for Pereira to handle, and he knocked Pereira off balance with a left hook.

Pereira responded with leg kicks that stung Adesanya, but Adesanya quickly regained control. Pereira trapped Adesanya against the cage and began teeing off, but Adesanya delivered a right hand that wobbled Pereira, followed by another right hand that sent Pereira to the canvas. Adesanya finished with a few more strikes, winning by KO and reclaiming his title.