Alex Pereira has Israel Adesanya’s number in any combat sport — make it 3-0, and now the Brazilian knockout artist also has his rival’s UFC middleweight championship.
Pereira fought back out from a slow start and rocked Adesanya in the fifth round to score the TKO win and claim the 185-pound championship in the main event of UFC 281 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Knocked at times for his methodical style, the 31-year-old Adesanya known as “The Last Stylebender” got the MSG crowd on his side once he clobbered Pereira with a pounding right and then a fast left hand to the face that ended the first round and sent the challenger reeling. Zhang patted her championship belt after UFC President Dana White wrapped it around her waist inside the octagon. Zhang only successfully defended the championship once during her first championship reign. She beat Jéssica Andrade in 2019 and won a decision against Joanna Jedrzejczyk before she suffered consecutive losses to Rose Namajunas.Esparza was a two-time champion.
“Ladies and gentleman, this is the final fight of his illustrious Hall of Fame career,” octagon announcer Bruce Buffer bellowed to a roaring crowd.
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