Israel Adesanya had plenty to say after watching Alex Pereira reclaim the light heavyweight belt at UFC 320 with a stunning knockout.
Pereira stepped back into the cage for a rematch against Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday night. In their first meeting earlier this year, Ankalaev edged out a decision win, but this time Pereira charged forward from the opening seconds. He quickly broke through Ankalaev’s defense and ended the fight in less than a minute and a half, becoming a two-time light heavyweight champion.
The next day, Adesanya posted a video of himself watching the fight and reacting to the moment Pereira finished Ankalaev.
“Chama!” Adesanya said as he watched the fight. “The way he went at him straight away, you could see. And when Ankalaev switched [stances], it was like, OK, he’s on. Dang. Back to it. Two-time light heavyweight champ!”
Adesanya and Pereira share a long competitive history that stretches back before their UFC days. The two first met in kickboxing, where Pereira defeated Adesanya twice. Later, both transitioned to MMA, leading to their famous UFC title clash, where Pereira won by fifth-round TKO.
In their rematch the following year, Adesanya turned the tables, stopping Pereira with a knockout that earned 2023 Knockout of the Year honors.
After that fight, Pereira moved up to light heavyweight, where he went on a successful run, winning and defending the title multiple times before losing it to Ankalaev earlier this year. Their rivalry has since cooled, and both fighters have expressed mutual respect.
UNREAL ENDING TO #UFC320 😳
ALEX PEREIRA IS A CHAMP 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uw11KA6VfV
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 5, 2025
Adesanya’s Take on Pereira’s Tactics
Watching Pereira’s performance closely, Adesanya explained exactly when he felt the fight turned.
“Once Ankalaev went orthodox, I knew it was a wrap,” Adesanya said. “I felt it was a wrap. Because you’re giving him the leg he likes. That means his right leg was compromised from the inside leg kicks already.
“He came out smoke, and straight away attacked him, put him behind the black line, and then attacked the front leg. He didn’t in the last fight because someone said he was compromised and his foot or his leg was hurt. But two or three, and then Ankalaev switched and … that’s all she wrote. Knockout by the champ!”
Even though Adesanya respects Pereira’s win, he also has his eye on future matchups. His teammate Carlos Ulberg is currently riding a strong winning streak and is rumored to be next in line for a light heavyweight title shot.
“I think that would be a good fight,” Adesanya said about a potential Pereira vs. Ulberg matchup. “There’s a parallel. In that fight, all [Carlos] has to watch out for is a leg kick. His eyes are good, and he’ll catch him. Because Pereira, sometimes his reactions are too slow. But that leg kick, if he gets it, it’s going to be a problem. Then he’ll slow down [Carlos]. But we’ll see.”
Pereira has also mentioned that he wants a heavyweight superfight with Jon Jones, though he has not indicated that he plans to give up his current belt. The UFC has not yet announced his next opponent.
Interestingly, Adesanya reached a personal milestone on the same weekend. Six years ago, he captured the undisputed middleweight title at UFC 243, defeating Robert Whittaker in front of a massive crowd of 57,000 at Marvel Stadium.
At that time, Pereira hadn’t yet joined the UFC, making their later rivalry one of the most memorable storylines in recent MMA history.
