UFC: Pereira Knock Down Adesanya To Win Middleweight Title

In the main event of UFC 281 from Madison Square Garden, Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya via fifth-round technical knockout to cap a meteoric rise to the UFC middleweight championship.
Both fighters jumped right into the fight without any delay. Like you would expect from seasoned adversaries, the two traded blows in the opening round.
Pereira was more often the aggressor, but Adesanya was quick with counters of his own. The Last Stylebender’s flush right hand and left hook at the very end of the round, which might have ended the fight if the bell hadn’t sounded, marked the most notable exchange of the round.
Pereira successfully recovered and had plenty of strong moments in the second round. He scored early and often with a stiff jab and even ended the round with a surprise takedown.
In the third round, it was Adesanya’s turn to showcase his grappling skills in a rare display. He scored a takedown off the clinch and spent a lot of the round with control of Pereira’s back.