Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had a stoic reaction as Alex Pereira rendered Ji?í Procházka unconscious.
Pereira headlined this past weekend’s UFC 303 pay-per-view in defense of his light heavyweight title. The Brazilian, who previously held the belt at 185 pounds, was once again tasked with stalling Procházka’s pursuit of two-time status.
While the finish of their first fight back at UFC 295 last November left many dissatisfied and bemoaning the stoppage as early, that was not the case second time around, as “Poatan” brutally knocking “BJP” out with a head kick and follow-up punches on the ground.
As has become a common occurrence whenever he enters the cage, Pereira’s latest triumph once again had fans in the arena and at home on their feet yelling Joe Rogan-esque screams.
But one man’s reaction was a far cry from that…
Adesanya Reacts To Pereira vs. Procházka 2: ‘Damn, That’s Bad’
In a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Adesanya and some of his training partners can be seen reacting to the events that unfolded at the International Fight Week event on June 29.
The Nigerian-New Zealander had a strong connection to the main event, having faced Pereira four times across mixed martial arts and kickboxing, defeating him once by way of KO last April.
Since the pair last faced off, Pereira has flattened his opponents three times with his renowned power. With that, Adesanya was seemingly not at all shocked by Saturday’s finish and remained stoically reclined on his couch as “Poatan” floored his Czech counterpart with a head kick.
“Damn, that is bad. Oh, that is bad,” Adesanya said in the immediate after of the finish. “This card was cursed”
Much has been made about the potential of Pereira and Adesanya competing their MMA trilogy up at light heavyweight down the line.
For now, “The Last Stylebender” has his sights set on regaining the middleweight gold and settling his grudge with another rival in Dricus Du Plessis, whom Adesanya has gone back and forth with for well over a year.
They’re set to headline the upcoming UFC 305 event in Perth, Australia, on August 17.
Continue Reading VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Reacts To Longtime Rival Alex Pereira’s Knockout Of Ji?í Procházka At UFC 303 at MMA News.