Israel Adesanya's leg was damaged from Alex Pereira's kicks just moments before he was knocked out in their UFC title fight.
Adesanya, 33, was looking to make the sixth defence of his middleweight title at UFC 281 against old kickboxing rival Pereira, but he came up short and was knocked out in the fifth round. 'The Last Stylebender' said his peroneal nerve was affected by the Brazilian's leg kicks that added up throughout the fight and he felt his leg shutting down.
"He got calf kicks early on and invested well," Adesanya said. "He hit my peroneal nerve. So that’s why my footwork was compromised. Even when I tripped and went backwards, I had to do the rolie polie. I just tripped over, it’s not like me. Kudos to him for investing in those calf kicks, because it cost me."
'The Last Stylebender' was on course to win a unanimous decision as all three judges had him three rounds to one up heading into the fifth round. It's a similar ending to Adesanya and Pereira's kickboxing rematch in 2017, as the Nigerian-born Kiwi was winning that fight before being brutally knocked out by Pereira in the third round.
“F***ing crazy end. Similar to the last time. Same story. It’s crazy,” Adesanya added. “He’s durable and he recovers well. Even in the fifth round, I knew he was going to come strong because he was down. Same thing as last time again. It’s another great story for him, but it’s not over. This is still war.”
What were your thoughts on Israel Adesanya's loss to Alex Pereira? Let us know in the comments section below.
Pereira only had three UFC fights under his belt going into the fight and fans felt he was being fast-tracked into a title shot because of his history with Adesanya. The Brazilian, who is open to a fourth meeting with Adesanya, thinks referee Marc Goddard made the correct decision to stop the fight despite Adesanya suggesting he should have been given more time to recover.
"A lot of emotions went through my head, so many years of hard work and dedication, now here I am as the champion of the world," Pereira said. "I tried to pace myself but going into the last round my corner kept it real with me and told me I needed to knock him out. Adesanya was taking some pretty heavy hits and the referee is there to keep him safe, so I think the stoppage was correct."
