ISRAEL ADESANYA reclaimed the UFC middleweight title with a brutal knockout victory over bitter rival Alex Pereira.
The Nigerian-born New Zealander renewed his rivalry with the former Glory double champ on Saturday night in the main event of UFC 287 in Miami.
Adesanya went into the contest looking to claim his win over the Brazilan at the fourth time of asking following a last-gasp defeat in their clash last November
And he finally got one over Poatan thanks to a win vicious knockout in the second round.
A fired-up Adesanya said in his post-fight interview: "In his story, I'm the antagonist.
"In his story, I'm the bad guy. But tonight, it's my story. History!"
Adesanya relinquished the centre of the octagon to his old rival, who opened up with an outside leg kick, early doors.
But the Nigerian-born Kiwi was calm in the face of the overwhelming danger from the iron-fisted Pereira.
Both men stared stoically into one another’s eyes as they jostled for octagon dominance and traded calf kicks.
Unlike their first fight, Adesanya had difficulty closing the distance and landing his right hand.
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But he had success with multiple body kicks, although he continued to eat low calf kicks.
Pereira came close to decapitating the former champion with right head kick moments before a left hand whizzed past his chin before the horn.
Pereira exuded confidence in early in the second and began to walk down the former champion.
Adesanya, however, didn’t wilt under the pressure – nor did his legs buckle after eating trademark Pereira left hook.
Pereira continued to chew up the lead legs of Adesanya from both stances.
Adesanya, however, was undeterred and continued to come forward as he tried to find a home for his body kicks.
Adesanya’s right leg buckled in the final minute due to more vicious calf kicks, which forced him to retreat to the fence.
The 33-year-old began to cover up as he ate a barrage of shots.
But he rocked the champ with a beautiful and legacy-defining counter overhand right.
Pereira was on wobbly legs and couldn't escape the follow-up right-hand-left hook combo which felled him.
Academic ground and pound closed the show and kickstarted The Last Stylebender's second reign as middleweight king.
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A classy Adesanya paid tribute to his long-time rival by saying: "No matter what, Alex is a great champion.
"He lost the belt tonight but he will always be a champion.
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