Alex Pereira is the new undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion after defeating Israel Adesanya via technical knockout in New York last weekend (read more UFC news). The loss is only the second for Adesanya in his MMA career, but was not the first time Pereira had gotten the best of him. Pereira had previously beaten Adesanya in a professional kickboxing match in Sao Paulo, Brazil back in 2017.
Both fights saw Adesanya dominate the first portion of the matchup, using his length and technique to keep Pereira at bay. It wasn’t until the back end of the fights that Pereira was able to land effective blows which he turned into knockouts. If the fight went to the scorecards, it’s believed that Adesanya would have taken a fairly easy W.
Thisstunning come-from-behind victory from Pereira came in just his fourth UFC fight and eighth overall MMA fight. Pereira was billed as a massive underdog against Adesanya who was on his record sixth consecutive title defense.
Adesanya hurt Pereira quite badly at the end of the first round with a right hand and left hook combination. Later in the third round Adesanya was able to land a big kick to the midsection while Pereira was on the mat followed by a right hand. While Pereira wobbled a few times during the match, he was able to survive the onslaughts and extend the match into the fifth.
Even halfway through the fifth Adesanya seemed to be in control, until he was cracked with a combo and the blows kept pouring in. The fight was called off with 2:01 left to go in the final round.
Will there be a rematch?
Adesanya will definitely be looking for a rematch with Pereira, after dominating most of the fight. Pereira now holds a 3-0 record over Adesanya but two of the wins were in professional Kickboxing. Given that Adesanya has been one of the more successful champions in recent years, many believe he is deserving of a rematch, particularly considering how well he performed. If you plan to bet on the rematch between Adesanya and Pereira, check the best UFC betting sites in Ontario.
There may be some other contenders which Pereira will have to defend the Middleweight Title against before he gets back to Adesanya. Undefeated UFC star Khamzat Chimaev recently called out Pereira after his win, making for an intriguing match up. Chimaev believes he deserves a title shot based on his current undefeated streak and standout victories over Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns. Only time will tell he will get his wish.
