Tag: UFC 287

Israel Adesanya touted as top-5 greatest fighter of all time following UFC 287 win: ‘He’s just spectacular’

Israel Adesanya touted at top-5 GOAT after UFC 287 he's spectacularOff the back of his stunning UFC 287 knockout victory over Alex Pereira to reclaim the undisputed middlweight title, Israel Adesanya must now be included in the greatest fighter of all time conversation – reaching the top-5 of that list already, according to veteran welterweight, Matt Brown. Adesanya, now a two-time undisputed middleweight champion under […]

Israel Adesanya touted at top-5 GOAT after UFC 287 he's spectacular

Off the back of his stunning UFC 287 knockout victory over Alex Pereira to reclaim the undisputed middlweight title, Israel Adesanya must now be included in the greatest fighter of all time conversation – reaching the top-5 of that list already, according to veteran welterweight, Matt Brown.

Adesanya, now a two-time undisputed middleweight champion under the promotion’s banner, managed to reclaim his undisputed title over the weekend in the main event of UFC 287, avenging a November knockout loss to the above-mentioned, Pereira.

Securing his first victory over the Sao Paulo striker in four attempts in Miami, Florida – City Kickboxing stalwart, Israel Adesanya dropped and finished Pereira with a cannoning second round knockout at UFC 287, minting himself as the undisputed king of the middleweights in the process.

Matt Brown touts the résumé of new champion, Israel Adesanya

Receiving major plaudits for swinging the tide against Pereira, Adesanya has been boasted as a top-5 greatest fighter of all time by the above-mentioned, Brown – who labelled the Nigerian-Kiwi as “spectacular”.

“I felt like this fight [against Alex Pereira], he (Israel Adesanya) just threw that out the window and said, ‘I’m not wrestling you, we’re doing a kickboxing match. And I’m f*cking you up.’” Matt Brown told MMA Fighting reporter, Damon Martin. “I commend him for that. That took balls for him to do that. That took courage – that took bravery. That took all the things that qualify a champion like Adesanya and I think you’ve got to star putting him in the top five GOAT list now.”

“It’s not like I’m basing this off one fight,” Brown continued. “Look at the guys he’s beat before [UFC 287]. He’s got a f*cking résumé. He’s just spectacular. It’s f*cking amazing what he’s doing. I’ll just leave it at time.”

Expected to welcome new challenges amid links to fights with both Dricus du Plessis, and the undefeated welterweight, Khamzat Chimaev next – Adesanya has distanced himself firmly from a third mixed martial arts contest with Pereira in the immediate aftermath of UFC 287. 

Israel Adesanya claims rivalry with Alex Pereira is settled after UFC 287: ‘It’s done. I’m done with this sh*t’

Israel Adesanya UFC 287 rivalry Alex Pereira I'm done with this sh*tAs far as Israel Adesanya is concerned, his long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira is done. On Saturday night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally broke through, scoring a masterful second-round knockout against the man that has been terrorizing him across two different sports for the last seven years. Despite the fact that Adesanya is just 1-3 against […]

Israel Adesanya UFC 287 rivalry Alex Pereira I'm done with this sh*t

As far as Israel Adesanya is concerned, his long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira is done.

On Saturday night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally broke through, scoring a masterful second-round knockout against the man that has been terrorizing him across two different sports for the last seven years. Despite the fact that Adesanya is just 1-3 against Pereira overall, the new middleweight champ is ready to end this chapter of his career and begin anew.

“We closed (the rivalry). It’s done. I’m done with this s**t,” Adesanya stated in a backstage interview following his UFC 287 victory.

“I don’t want to fight the same guy three times in a row, because I have less than 20 fights in this game. I’m 33, I could probably go on for as long as I want to. But less than 20 fights, I think, I have in this game, if I’m being honest. So I just want to fight new faces and take new heads. That’s what I want to do in this game” (h/t Fighters Only)

With the fighters deadlocked at 1-1 inside the Octagon, the promotion would typically rush to book the highly anticipated trilogy bout, but that does not appear to be the case for Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. Aside from their history under the GLORY Kickboxing banner, reports suggest ‘Poatan’ will move on from the middleweight division altogether, saving himself from the grueling weight cut that forces him to shed upwards of 50 lbs in order to make the 185-pound middleweight limit.

Israel Adesanya May Trade in One Trilogy Bout for Another

However, Israel Adesanya may be trading in one potential trilogy fight for another. With little movement made at the top of the middleweight division in the last several months, the likeliest scenario for ‘Stylebender’ is a third fight with former titleholder Robert Whittaker. With his only two losses coming against Adesanya since 2014, ‘The Reaper’ simply makes the most sense at this point.

It is possible that the promotion could throw fans a curveball and thrust undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev into the main event spotlight, though rumors suggest that he won’t be back until the promotion heads to Abu Dhabi in October for a potential title eliminator with Paulo Costa.

Until then, Israel Adesanya will sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor and the championship gold it came with.

“Honestly, believe in yourself,” Adesanya said. “No matter how many times you get knocked down, always get back up. Always get back up and fight for what you want.”

Israel Adesanya claims rivalry with Alex Pereira is settled after UFC 287: ‘It’s done. I’m done with this sh*t’

Israel Adesanya UFC 287 rivalry Alex Pereira I'm done with this sh*tAs far as Israel Adesanya is concerned, his long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira is done. On Saturday night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally broke through, scoring a masterful second-round knockout against the man that has been terrorizing him across two different sports for the last seven years. Despite the fact that Adesanya is just 1-3 against […]

Israel Adesanya UFC 287 rivalry Alex Pereira I'm done with this sh*t

As far as Israel Adesanya is concerned, his long-standing rivalry with Alex Pereira is done.

On Saturday night, ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally broke through, scoring a masterful second-round knockout against the man that has been terrorizing him across two different sports for the last seven years. Despite the fact that Adesanya is just 1-3 against Pereira overall, the new middleweight champ is ready to end this chapter of his career and begin anew.

“We closed (the rivalry). It’s done. I’m done with this s**t,” Adesanya stated in a backstage interview following his UFC 287 victory.

“I don’t want to fight the same guy three times in a row, because I have less than 20 fights in this game. I’m 33, I could probably go on for as long as I want to. But less than 20 fights, I think, I have in this game, if I’m being honest. So I just want to fight new faces and take new heads. That’s what I want to do in this game” (h/t Fighters Only)

With the fighters deadlocked at 1-1 inside the Octagon, the promotion would typically rush to book the highly anticipated trilogy bout, but that does not appear to be the case for Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira. Aside from their history under the GLORY Kickboxing banner, reports suggest ‘Poatan’ will move on from the middleweight division altogether, saving himself from the grueling weight cut that forces him to shed upwards of 50 lbs in order to make the 185-pound middleweight limit.

Israel Adesanya May Trade in One Trilogy Bout for Another

However, Israel Adesanya may be trading in one potential trilogy fight for another. With little movement made at the top of the middleweight division in the last several months, the likeliest scenario for ‘Stylebender’ is a third fight with former titleholder Robert Whittaker. With his only two losses coming against Adesanya since 2014, ‘The Reaper’ simply makes the most sense at this point.

It is possible that the promotion could throw fans a curveball and thrust undefeated Chechen monster Khamzat Chimaev into the main event spotlight, though rumors suggest that he won’t be back until the promotion heads to Abu Dhabi in October for a potential title eliminator with Paulo Costa.

Until then, Israel Adesanya will sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labor and the championship gold it came with.

“Honestly, believe in yourself,” Adesanya said. “No matter how many times you get knocked down, always get back up. Always get back up and fight for what you want.”

Video – Donald Trump appears to lose wager to Kid Rock during UFC 287, hands over wad of cash

Donald Trump loses bet to Kid Rock UFC 287 Adesanya PereiraFormer president Donald Trump was spotted losing his UFC 287 main event bet to Kid Rock. UFC 287 was promoted as a stacked card which delivered on all cylinders, and a star-studded lineup of guests often became the centre of attraction, most notably when the 45th president entered the building. He was greeted with heavy […]

Donald Trump loses bet to Kid Rock UFC 287 Adesanya Pereira

Former president Donald Trump was spotted losing his UFC 287 main event bet to Kid Rock.

UFC 287 was promoted as a stacked card which delivered on all cylinders, and a star-studded lineup of guests often became the centre of attraction, most notably when the 45th president entered the building.

He was greeted with heavy cheers from a sold-out Miami crowd, and sat next to Dana White throughout the night.

Donald Trump has taken over the media recently following his court case in New York City, although this hasn’t stopped him from enjoying himself in Florida.

White, who’s been a longtime friend of Trump, described him as a passionate UFC fan who regularly calls him to chat about recent fights.

Donald Trump coughs up cash to musician, Kid Rock

This time out at UFC 287, Donald Trump was spotted by a fan in the crowd not only enjoying the spectacle, but wagering on it as well.

It appeared as though Trump was confident with his money on the reigning champion Alex Pereira, but he may have been left stunned along with the entire MMA community after Israel Adesanya reclaimed his throne in brutal fashion.

Following the co-main event, Jorge Masvidal not only stole headlines by likely retiring from the sport, but he also engaged the cheering Miami crowd while he saluted the former president.

Kid Rock may have a unique souvenir to add in his collection after being handed his cash prize from Trump, and he was seen as joyful as ever posing with an interesting combination of personalities next to the cage.

Alex Pereira reacts to Israel Adesanya mocking his son after UFC 287 loss: ‘I wouldn’t do the same’

Alex Pereira reacts Adesanya taunting son celebration I wouldn't do the same UFC 287Brazilian knockout artist, Alex Pereira has reacted to arch-rival, Israel Adesanya, taunting and mocking his son, Alessandro following his knockout loss at UFC 287 over the course of the weekend, claiming he would not have reacted the same if he was in a similar situation. Pereira, who headlined the Saturday pay-per-view event under the promotion’s […]

Alex Pereira reacts Adesanya taunting son celebration I wouldn't do the same UFC 287

Brazilian knockout artist, Alex Pereira has reacted to arch-rival, Israel Adesanya, taunting and mocking his son, Alessandro following his knockout loss at UFC 287 over the course of the weekend, claiming he would not have reacted the same if he was in a similar situation.

Pereira, who headlined the Saturday pay-per-view event under the promotion’s banner, suffered a thunderous second round KO loss to Nigerian-Kiwi striker, Adesanya in the pair’s championship rematch in Miami, Florida. 

Starting well against his rival, Sao Paulo striker, Pereira even managed to unload on Adesanya at the Octagon fence in the second round, slamming leg kicks and a body shot, paired with a knee strike, before he was countered with two right hands from Adesanya – sending him to the canvas in a devastating KO loss.

Following his title triumph, City Kickboxing staple, Adesanya pointed to the crowd in search of Alex Pereira’s teenage son, Alessandro – falling to the canvas himself, mocking the latter’s choice to taunt him off the back of his 2017 KO loss to his father under the GLORY Kickboxing banner.

Alex Pereira opens up on his UFC 287 loss

Sharing his thoughts on Adesanya’s celebration, taunting his child, Pereira claimed that he would not have that mindset to carry out a similar celebration.

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t do the same,” Alex Pereira said during a video on his YouTube channel. “I can play with him [Alessandro], I’ve always played with him – I teased him. It was something that happened, but I don’t know – it’s another child. I don’t know what his feeling was. I don’t know. It is seven years ago [since Adesanya’s KO loss]. He was enduring it and I saw his joy that he had after the knockout, you know. Because that was his dream – that was his dream and he made it but we’re comparing him with a child who was 5 years old at the time, right? I don’t have that mind.” 

“I can prove it because today he [Alessandro] is 12-years-old and before the fight, I saw that some reporters said, ‘You’re going to do this?’ [And Alessandro said] ‘I’m going to do it again’ and so on and he laughed, because he’s a kid, he thinks it’s funny. I did that, I knocked him out the night I won the belt and my kid was wanting to do the same thing up there. I said to him, ‘No. Stop – don’t do it, stay here and don’t do anything.’ I’m a conscious guy, and everything I’m saying here, really I’m saying and I wouldn’t do it.”

“I wouldn’t do it,” Alex Pereira explained. “If he did it, if he felt better that way, ok, it’s a relief. It’s a relief he had and if he thinks it’s better for him, ok. That won’t change anything for me.”

Touted to likely make a light heavyweight move in his Octagon return per UFC president, Dana White, Pereira said he would returned “stronger than ever” off the back of his stoppage loss to Adesanya.

“All the people who are following me since kickboxing, they know I am a hard worker and dedicated,” Alex Pereira explained. “I never quit. And the people who arrived now, you can think, how will this guy come back? Guys, I promise you, I’m going to come [back] firm and strong. I’m going to come [back] stronger than ever. You can write this down.” 

Jorge Masvidal slams Kevin Holland after UFC 287 run-In: ‘He called me a girl, he misgendered me’

Jorge Masvidal misgendered Kevin Holland UFC 287 he called me a girlFormer UFC welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal has claimed he has no interest in providing any coverage to his recent run-in with division contender, Kevin Holland ahead of their respective outings at UFC 287 last weekend – detailing how the Californian striker “misgendered” him several times throughout their interactions. Masvidal, a former two-time title challenger […]

Jorge Masvidal misgendered Kevin Holland UFC 287 he called me a girl

Former UFC welterweight title challenger, Jorge Masvidal has claimed he has no interest in providing any coverage to his recent run-in with division contender, Kevin Holland ahead of their respective outings at UFC 287 last weekend – detailing how the Californian striker “misgendered” him several times throughout their interactions.

Masvidal, a former two-time title challenger at the welterweight limit under the promotion’s banner, co-headlined UFC 287 last weekend in Miami, Florida – suffering a one-sided unanimous decision loss to former title chaser, Gilbert Burns. 

Following the defeat, Masvidal, a native of the ‘Sunshine State’, confirmed his retirement from mixed martial arts with immediate effect, citing a loss in efficiency in his recent fights, and how he only wanted to compete successfully against top contenders in the division.

However, prior to any sort of clash with Burns at the flagship event – Jorge Masvidal engaged in two separate altercations with Riverside native, Holland during fight week.

Initially Masvidal and Holland were corralled by teammates and UFC officials at the fighter hotel, before the two were then separated outside the venue following ceremonial weigh-ins, with Holland alleged to have confronted Masvidal, calling him “baby girl”.

Jorge Masvidals claims Kevin Holland “misgendered” him during UFC 287 run-in

Addressing his pair of run-ins with Holland, American Top Team veteran, Masvidal claimed he did not give a “flying f*ck” about the outspoken challenger.

“I don’t give a flying f*ck about this guy [Kevin Holland],” Jorge Masvidal told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “If I run into him in a parking lot, we can have a discussion man-to-man, but like to fight this guy, or to hype anything up for a fight? No thanks. The guy’s a quitter and a bum. He called me a girl – he misgendered, he straight up misgendered me. He said it himself that he misgendered me. And I won’t stand for that. I won’t take that.”

“I’m like, ‘Don’t play with me, bro.’” Jorge Masvidal explained. “I’m not here to play with you in any way share or form. I don’t give a f*ck about your existence. If you do good, good. And if you do bad, I don’t give a f*ck. Just stay the f*ck away from me. You’re not gonna misgender me either.”

Featuring on the main card of UFC 287 himself, Holland managed to turn in his first victory inside three outings, defeating ATT staple, Santiago Ponzinibbio with a third round KO in a highlight-reel stoppage.