Just In: Adesanya Knocks Out Pereira, Regains Middleweight Title

Israel Adesanya knocked Alex Pereira out cold to regain the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 287.

It was the fourth fight between the pair, with Pereira beating Adesanya twice in kickboxing before following the Nigerian-New Zealander into mixed martial arts, where he took Adesanya’s UFC title with a TKO in November.

But at the fourth time of asking, Adesanya finally beat his long-time rival, freezing Pereira with a right hook in Round 2 before dropping the champion with another and finishing the fight with a hammer fist.

In the co-main event, Jorge Masvidal suffered a points loss to Gilbert Burns before retiring from MMA.

Masvidal, in front of a home crowd in Miami, called time on a 20-year career and praised former US president Donald Trump, who was ringside.

Trump sat in the front row with Mike Tyson and UFC president Dana White, and the Miami-Dade Arena crowd erupted when the 76-year-old arrived.

UK Independent.