After waiting for who knows how long, Israel Adesanya finally had the moment of his life. Izzy regained the crown that he had lost in November, and it couldn’t have happened in a more magnificent way.
The Last Stylebender and Alex Pereira engaged in the much-anticipated middleweight title bout tonight at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida. Izzy finally exacted vengeance on Pereira, his greatest adversary.
ISRAEL ADESANYA RECLAIMS THE UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CROWN đ #UFC287 pic.twitter.com/7gMO99Y4Rz
— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2023
What did Israel Adesanya say after defeating Alex Pereira?
The battle versus Poatan was much more than just a title match for the Auckland native. It was a measure of atonement, a successful attempt to exact long overdue retribution, and a way for him to refute many of his skeptics and detractors.
Formerly, the UFC middleweight division was dominated by the Nigeria-born fighter. Defeating Kelvin Gastelum for the first time in 2019, Izzy won the title. Izzy would stumble in his impressive win streak after suffering a loss to Jan Blachowicz in the light-heavyweight division.
ISRAEL ADESANYA WITH THE KO! HEâS BACK!
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 9, 2023
Adesanya faced his arch-nemesis Pereira in UFC 281. Twice in kickboxing, The Last Stylebender was defeated by the Brazilian challenger. Izzy was defeated by Pereira, who did it with the air of someone who knew every nuance of Adesanya. Israel, however, demonstrated to the world tonight how to exact revenge and disprove everyone.
“Brah, they say revenge is sweet, and if you know me, I’ve got a sweet tooth. This is f….ing sweet!” said Adesanya.
This was the #UFC287 press conference before the Fight.
– Israel Adesanya said it and HE DID IT.
âFVCK THE BELT.. IâM COMING FOR HIS HEADâ AND HE DESTROYED HIS HEAD. đłđŹđłđŹđłđŹ.
DOG UNLEASHED. pic.twitter.com/WRfMH1vcCX
— Buchi Laba (@Buchi_Laba) April 9, 2023
When Israel finally defeated Pereira, he yelled in happiness and excitement. Pereira has been The Last Stylebender’s nightmare from his kickboxing days to the UFC. Today, however, the hunter has become the prey, changing the dynamics. It is understandable why Adesanya is ecstatic.
“No matter what, Alex is a great champion. He lost the belt tonight, but he will always be a champion. In his story I’m the antagonist, I’m the bad guy, but tonight it’s my story, history.” Adesanya added.
"Hunter is now the hunted" – Israel Adesanya.
Fucking ICONIC. #UFC287pic.twitter.com/WMBXS243wv
— Hemant (@SportsCuppa) April 9, 2023
What are your thoughts on Adesanya regaining the throne? Do you believe Pereira would opt for a quick rematch or will he switch to the 205-pound weight class?
