Alex Pereira`s recent title victory at UFC 320 captivated even his greatest rivals, sparking enthusiastic reactions from fellow fighters.
The 38-year-old “Poatan” demonstrated his enduring prowess by recapturing the light heavyweight title from Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 320. Pereira wasted no time, applying relentless pressure and securing a first-round TKO against Ankalaev, leaving him no room to recover.
The T-Mobile Arena was electric, and the moment resonated deeply with other athletes. Jiri Prochazka, who has faced Pereira twice, was visibly moved to tears witnessing the Brazilian`s triumph over their mutual adversary, Ankalaev. From a lower weight class, Israel Adesanya also openly celebrated Pereira`s impressive title reclamation.
Israel Adesanya`s Ecstatic Reaction to Pereira`s UFC 320 Knockout
Adesanya, who was the last fighter to defeat Pereira before Ankalaev, commented on Pereira`s fierce determination at UFC 320. Although Pereira has faced Adesanya four times across kickboxing and MMA, only losing their last encounter by KO, he avenged his previous loss against Ankalaev, a formidable champion unbeaten in 14 consecutive fights.
Adesanya shared his live reaction to Pereira`s dominant performance on his YouTube channel. He keenly observed Ankalaev being pushed to his limit, exclaiming, “Look at him behind the black line!” As Pereira pressed his advantage, Adesanya noted:
Oh! He got him where he wanted. He’s not f—— around, holy s—, he’s not f—– around.
With escalating excitement, Adesanya continued:
Look at him, look, he’s on, he’s on. I know it, I see the eyes, look at the eyes. He’s going. He has to go orthodox. Bro, he’s on. He’s on. Go, go, go finish it! Oh!!!
He concluded by adding “Chama,” acknowledging Pereira`s characteristic cry of victory.
A Look Back: Israel Adesanya`s Undisputed UFC Title Win
This event also brings to mind Israel Adesanya`s own historic moment six years ago today, when he claimed undisputed UFC gold in 2019. Entering UFC 243 as the interim middleweight champion, “The Last Stylebender” faced Robert Whittaker for the undisputed title. In a memorable night at Marvel Stadium, Adesanya unified the belts by knocking out Whittaker in front of 57,000 fans, cementing his legacy. His greatest rival, Alex Pereira, would join the UFC ranks two years later.
