Israel Adesanya Finally Breaks Alex Pereira Hex and Puts Himself Back atop of UFC | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Israel Adesanya celebrates his KO win over Alex Pereira.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Israel Adesanya finally did it.

After losing two kickboxing matches and an MMA fight to Alex Pereira, he served up a heaping dish of revenge in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC 287 card in Miami, Florida, felling the imposing Brazilian with a crackling combination in the second round.

It was such a personally significant victory for the Nigerian-born New Zealander that his reclaiming the UFC middleweight title in the process almost feels like an afterthought.

“They say revenge is sweet, and if you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth,” he said in his post-fight interview.

Adesanya first met Pereira in the kickboxing ring in 2016 and lost a contentious unanimous decision. They then met a year later, with Pereira surviving an early scare to knock Adesanya out in the third and final round.

They finally met under MMA rules at UFC 281 last November in New York City, with Adesanya once again controlling most of the action before suffering a brutal knockout in the fifth round and losing his belt as a result.

Things quickly began to feel different at UFC 287.

There was no questioning that Adesanya faced an incredibly tough matchup—we knew Pereira could beat him and beat him badly—but the former champ was the picture of focus from the moment he appeared on camera for his walkout.

“This is my f–king house,” he barked as he emerged from the guts of the arena and walked to the Octagon to “Headstrong” by the 90s nu-metal band Trapt.

He certainly looked headstrong once the fight began.

Alex Pereira (left) and Israel AdesanyaJeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Adesanya was cautious in his UFC 281 fight with Pereira, working as a counter-striker for most of his fight with the brick-fisted Brazilian. At UFC 287, however, he showed a different side of his game.

While Pereira was moving forward for much of the first and second rounds, Adesanya never let the champion spook him and frequently pushed forward himself in an effort to disrupt his foe’s rhythm.

He finally got the result he wanted in the waning moments of the second frame when Pereira began to get confident.

The champion marched forward and briefly cornered his challenger against the cage with a barrage of heavy punches. It was immediately reminiscent of the sequence that ended their last fight, but this time, Adesanya kept his defense tight and fired off his counterpunches with pinpoint accuracy.

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UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Despite his history with Pereira—and the merciless celebration with which he capped off his long-awaited win over the Brazilian—Adesanya assured that he has nothing but respect for his rival.

“Beating me, he made he made a better fighter,” he said, touting his rival as a “great champion.”

From here, it is very possible the pair will meet a third time in the Octagon.

With three wins over Adesanya in two combat sports, Pereira definitely deserves the opportunity; he certainly gave his rival enough chances to have the favor returned. And even if their kickboxing bouts are ignored, they’re 1-1 in MMA, with a knockout apiece, which seems like the obvious recipe for a trilogy.

It’s also possible Adesanya will shift his focus to another middleweight contender, like his next biggest rival, Robert Whittaker, or unbeaten juggernaut Khamzat Chimaev.

One way or the other, the win put Adesanya right back on top.

While he is unlikely to reach the No. 1 spot on many pound-for-pound lists thanks to the sustained dominance of other champions like Jon Jones, Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev, he is clearly one of the best fighters in the world today. His vengeance may be the main talking point after UFC 287, but that should be the biggest takeaway.