Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has praised Israel Adesanya’s knockout victory over Alex Pereira, calling it “even more impressive” in light of Pereira’s recent dominant performance.
At UFC 307 last weekend, Pereira delivered an incredible amount of punishment to Khalil Rountree Jr., securing a dominant TKO win to defend his title. This victory, along with three world title finishes this year, puts into perspective Pereira’s only loss in the octagon—a second-round KO by his rival, Israel Adesanya, last year.
On his podcast, *Pound 4 Pound*, Usman reflected on Adesanya’s second-round knockout of Pereira at UFC 287, which allowed Adesanya to 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 stated. “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 stories 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 rivalry continued in the UFC, with Pereira knocking out Adesanya for the middleweight title in 2022. However, ‘The Last Stylebender’ got his revenge at UFC 287, reclaiming his belt with a spectacular knockout.
Despite moving up to the light-heavyweight division and capturing UFC gold, Pereira remains firmly on Adesanya’s radar. The Nigerian-born fighter recently shared 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 excel in their respective weight classes, the possibility of a future rematch between Adesanya and Pereira remains an exciting prospect for UFC fans worldwide.
