Alex “Poatan” Pereira, the only man to knock out Nigerian Israel Adesanya, stopped him again by technical knockout at 2 minutes and 1 second of the fifth and final round of the main event at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, November 12. With the victory, Poatan claimed the UFC middleweight title (84 kg) in just his fourth fight with the company.
Adesanya had been the champion since 2019. But it seems Poatan was born to defeat him. In kickboxing, the Brazilian was Adesanya’s nemesis twice.
On Saturday, Adesanya was winning the fight until the final sequence, when Poatan unleashed a flurry of punches on Adesanya. Referee Marc Goddard intervened after a barrage of left and right hooks from the Brazilian, although Adesanya was never knocked down.
“So many years of hard work and dedication, and here I am, world champion,” Poatan said at the end of the fight.
The UFC president, Dana White, said he does not rule out an immediate rematch between Poatan and Adesanya.
“He has been a great champion for us,” White said about Adesanya. “He likes to fight all the time. He doesn’t say no. He will fight anyone. These are fun guys to watch.”