Israel Adesanya reclaimed the coveted UFC middleweight title in emphatic fashion last week when he knocked out Alex Pereira in round two of the UFC 287 main event.
Since his stunning victory, “The Last Stylebender” appears to have taken time to reflect on his journey from title contender to title holder, which began at UFC 236 in 2019.
Adesanya faced Kelvin Gastelum for the interim middleweight title, a bout that has been etched into the memory of all those who were blessed enough to watch it. In one of the most exciting title fights of all time, the pair traded blows from the opening bell until the very end.
Israel Adesanya recently posted a montage of the fight and used the Black Panther song “Wakanda“, produced by Ludwig Goransson, in the opening part of the video.
Interestingly, the UFC middleweight champion declared that he became the “undisputed” champion against Gastelum, despite only winning the interim title at the time.
“On this day in 2019 I became the Undisputed UFC Middleweight Champion. A battle for the ages that will be talked about forever in sports. In this fight I had to go to “that place”, I was prepared to die in the octagon that night. Accepting my mortality in that moment unlocked the beast within and I had to fight to truly live! What a fucking BANGER!!! Shoutout to @kgastelum for being a hard headed Mexican who had bricks for fists and the fighting spirit of a Mexican warrior on full display!! What a moment in time…”
Watch the video below:
Israel Adesanya became a two-time UFC middleweight champion against Alex Pereira, and anticipation about who “The Last Stylebender” could face next is building.
Having beaten every middleweight ranked in the top 5 at least once, there are hardly any contenders who truly stand out.
Israel Adesanya’s coach answers if he will face Alex Pereira again
Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira share one of the most incredible rivalries in combat sports history. The pair have faced off twice in kickboxing and twice in MMA, with “Poatan” currently holding a 3-1 advantage.
However, Adesanya may have had the last laugh as he knocked out Pereira at UFC 287 last weekend.
Following the bout, questions were raised about the possibility of a third MMA fight between the pair. Eugene Bareman, the head coach of Israel Adesanya, recently shared his thoughts on a possible trilogy in the UFC while talking to Submission Radio.
He said this:
“I mean they might, but they’re not gonna meet straight away. The story is what got Alex to this [title fight]… I’m sure smart people understand that… Look at who Israel fought to get his first title shot…”
Watch the video below from 14:20: