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Israel Adesanya delivered a devastating second-round knockout against his nemesis Alex Pereira to reclaim his middleweight title.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou has showered praises on New Zealand-based Nigerian fighter Israel Adesanya after he reclaimed his middleweight title.
Adesanya, in the early hours of Sunday, April 9 2023, reclaimed his status as the king of the middleweight in the UFC after knocking out Alex Pereira.
Adesanya finally has his revenge against Pereira
The 33-year-old had lost his belt to the Pereira last year after the Brazilian stopped him in the fifth round.
It was the third time Pereira would beat Adesanya, having beaten him twice in kickboxing, including one via a knockout.
However, Adesanya showed great determination and mental resilience to finally get one over his old nemesis.
The 33-year-old Nigerian delivered a devastating knockout blow after Pereira had boxed him into a corner.
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According to Adesanya victory against Pereira in the rematch shows the need to overcome difficulty.
The Brazilian had forced Adesanya into a corner and was hitting him with a barrage of leg kicks on his ribs.
However, Adesanya remained resilient and strong, taking everything Pereira was hitting him with before responding with a decisive blow that left Pereira staggering.
Sensing he has the chance to kill him off, Adesanya landed another blow which sent the Brazilian straight to the floor before delivering the final knockout.
It was a sweet victory for New Zealand-based Adesanya, who finally gained his revenge on his longtime nemesis.
Ngannou sings Adesanya's praises
Following the victory, fans and celebrities praised Adesanya for regaining his belt. Nagannou was one of them, with the 36-year-old calling Adesanya the best middleweight of all time.
Ngannou, who watched the fight, was seen celebrating Adesanya’s win with his family members at home.
The Cameroonian also took to Twitter to praise Adesanya’s talents, saying: The best middleweight of all time and I'm not arguing with anyone.
Ngannou was a former heavyweight champion in the UFC but he is no longer part of the organisation after clashing with Dana White.
However, he has announced a potential boxing fight with American heavyweight Deontay Wilder.
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