Ahead of UFC 276 this weekend during International Fight Week, footage has once again emerged of reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya suffering a brutal one-punch knockout loss to fellow main card feature, Alex Pereira during the pair’s time with GLORY Kickboxing.
Israel Adesanya tackles Jared Cannonier this weekend in ‘Sin City’
Set to take main event honors at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada – Adesanya attempts to secure his fifth successful defense of his undisputed middleweight crown, putting his belt on the line against the #2 ranked, Jared Cannonier.
As for Brazilian striking phenom, Pereira, the Sao Paulo finisher faces surging division staple, Sean Strickland in a potential middleweight title-eliminator in a high-profile main card outing, searching for Octagon victory number three.
Twice facing Adesanya during their respective and decorated professional kickboxing careers, Pereira holds a pair of victories over the City Kickboxing, firstly scoring a contentious unanimous decision win over the former in Shenzhen, China.
However, in rallying fashion in the pair’s March 2017 re-run, Pereira managed to spring with a brutal one-punch, left hook knockout – flooring Israel Adesanya at Glory of Heroes 7 in his native Sao Paulo.
Ahead of the pair’s respective main card features this weekend, footage has once emerged of Adesanya’s sole professional combat sports KO loss, with the Nigerian-Kiwi requiring oxygen in the squared circle following the brutal third round knockout defeat.
The only man to stop Israel Adesanya is now in the UFC.
Alex Pereira knocked out the middleweight champ in the Stylebender's last kickboxing match.
Poatan makes his MMA debut at UFC 268
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With Saturday night fast approaching, UFC president, Dana White remained coy on how he would match Pereira next should he land a career-best triumph against Strickland, however, admitted that a fight with Adesanya likely made sense next.
“I mean, both these guys came from GLORY Kickboxing,” Dana White said. “Alex Pereira is a former double champion there – middleweight and light heavyweight. He’s got two wins over Israel Adesanya. And, you know, he’s got two wins in the UFC right now. So taking on tough, durable, nutty Strickland, which should be a damn good fight. And if he wins, it makes a lot of sense to do the Adesanya fight.”