Former UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, has heaped praise on Israel Adesanya’s knockout victory over Alex Pereira, describing it as “even more impressive” in light of Pereira’s recent dominant performance.
At UFC 307 last weekend, ‘Poatan’ unleashed an inhuman amount of punishment on Khalil Rountree Jr. en route to a dominant TKO win to defend his title.
This win, on top of three world title finishes this year, puts into perspective Pereira’s sole loss inside the octagon—a second-round KO courtesy of his rival, Israel Adesanya, last year.
Speaking on his podcast ‘Pound 4 Pound’, Usman reflected on Adesanya’s second-round KO of Pereira at UFC 287 last year, which saw the Nigerian-born fighter reclaim the middleweight title.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Alex Pereira and what he’s done, but this makes Israel Adesanya’s finish of Alex Pereira even more impressive,” Usman said. “To be able to stop a titan like that, it makes it even more impressive.”
The rivalry between Adesanya and Pereira has been one of the most compelling narratives in combat sports, spanning over seven years and two different disciplines.
Their history dates back to 2016 and 2017, when Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in Glory kickboxing matches.
The pair’s rivalry continued in the UFC, with Pereira knocking out Adesanya for the middleweight title in 2022. However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ exacted his revenge at UFC 287, reclaiming his belt with a spectacular knockout of his own.
Despite moving up to the light-heavyweight division and capturing UFC gold, Pereira remains firmly on Adesanya’s radar.
The Nigerian-born fighter recently provided live reactions to Pereira’s bout at UFC 307, expressing admiration for his former rival’s performance and saying, “He (Pereira) is that guy right now.
“Shout out to Khalil because, heart. Fighting with a broken nose, f**ked eye, and intelligence not to blow his nose even in the fight, respect.”
As both fighters continue to dominate their respective weight classes, the possibility of a future rematch between Adesanya and Pereira remains an exciting prospect for UFC fans worldwide.
