Pereira stopped Ankalaev inside 90 seconds in their rematch, and Israel Adesanya was among those watching
Israel Adesanya seemed to foresee Alex Pereira’s victory over Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, after spotting a key detail in his old rival once the fight began.
In the main event in Las Vegas on Saturday (4 October), Pereira needed just 80 seconds to knock out Ankalaev and win back the light-heavyweight title from the Russian, who had taken it from Pereira with a points win in March.
Pereira, 38, immediately backed up Ankalaev, 33, and it wasn’t long before the Brazilian landed a huge right hand that forced the champion into a desperate takedown attempt. Pereira thwarted the takedown and poured on ground and pound, leading referee Herb Dean to step in.
And Adesanya, one of Pereira’s most-famous rivals, appeared to see the stoppage coming after paying attention to the Brazilian’s movements and expressions in the opening seconds.
In a video on Adesanya’s social-media channels, the former middleweight champion laughed, “Oh!” almost as soon as the fight began. “He got close! Look at him, [Ankalaev is] behind the black line [near the fence].
“[Pereira] has got him where he wants him. He’s not f*****g around. Holy s***, he’s not f*****g around. Look at him, he’s on!
“I know it, I see the eyes. Look at the eyes,” Adesanya continued, with a telling observation.
Then noticing Ankalaev switch stances after a heavy leg kick by Pereira, Adesanya added: “[Ankalaev] had to go orthodox! He had to go orthodox. Bro, [Pereira] is on. No, that’s quick, bro.”
Upon watching Pereira land the right hand that hurt Ankalaev, Adesanya shouted again: “Oh! He’s on, he’s on. Go, go, go, finish it – find the shot, find the shot. It’s over soon... Go, Herb, on top. That’s it, it’s over.”
Adesanya signed off his live commentary with Pereira’s catchphrase, “chama,” which is generally translated to “let’s go”.
Adesanya fought Pereira twice during their time as kickboxers, losing a close decision to the Brazilian before suffering a knockout in their rematch. The old rivals then met again twice in the UFC, trading stoppages.
In their first UFC clash, Pereira secured a late TKO to take the middleweight title from Adesanya, who won it back with a brutal knockout in the second round of their rematch.
Adesanya later lost the 185lb crown again, while Pereira moved up to light-heavyweight and achieved what the Nigerian-born New Zealander had previously failed to: win the 205lb title.
With his victory over Ankalaev on Saturday, Pereira regained that title to become a two-time light-heavyweight champion and three-time UFC champion overall.
Category: General Sports
