UFC 281: Alex Pereira knocks out Israel Adesanya to become champion

Alex Pereira had beaten Israel Adesanya doubly earlier successful kickboxing

Alex Pereira knocked retired Israel Adesanya to go middleweight champion astatine UFC 281 successful New York.

The Brazilian secured the title, which Adesanya had held since 2018, successful lone his 4th combat successful the UFC and eighth successful mixed martial arts

"I've trained my full beingness for this. I've worked truthful hard," Pereira said.

In the co-main event, Zhang Weili bushed Carla Esparza to go the caller strawweight champion.

Weili controlled the tempo of the combat earlier submitting Esparza successful the 2nd circular with a rear-naked choke.

Pereira comeback stuns Adesanya

Pereira stunned the assemblage astatine Madison Square Garden, leaving it precocious with triumph coming with 2 minutes to spell successful the last round.

Adesanya, who was attempting to grounds six consecutive rubric defences, was connected people to clasp his rubric until Pereira rocked him with a close hand.

Sensing Adesanya was successful trouble, Pereira pressed and landed important shots which saw referee Marc Goddard measurement successful and question the bout off.

Nigeria-born Adesanya, who is based successful New Zealand, was not blessed with the stoppage portion Pereira held aloft a '3-0 sign', a motion to his 2 erstwhile wins implicit the 33-year-old successful kickboxing earlier the brace joined the UFC.

The combat was intriguing from the start.

Adesanya rocked Pereira with seconds remaining of the archetypal round, delivering a close manus followed by a near hook but the buzzer saved the Brazilian.

Pereira bounced backmost successful the second, landing dense shots which near Adesanya scrambling. He was besides capable to people a takedown successful the last moments of the round.

The pendulum swung erstwhile again successful the 3rd circular with Adesanya controlling it from the ground. Pereira had nary reply to Adesanya's grappling oregon wrestling from apical position.

As the bout wore on, Adesanya seemed to beryllium successful control, utilizing his region and crisp striking to nullify the tiring Pereira.

But Pereira was not to beryllium denied and claimed a celebrated triumph implicit an aged rival.

Zhang Weili crowned champion

In beating Carla Esparza, Zhang Weili became a two-time champion having won the rubric successful 2019 against Jessica Andrade.

"Today is similar a imagination travel true. Ever since I mislaid the belt, I've dreamt of this moment," China's Zhang, 33, said pursuing her win.

She was capable to dictate the gait successful the archetypal circular earlier landing immoderate shots which Esparza absorbed.

Zhang grew successful assurance arsenic the combat wore connected and was capable to instrumentality down the 35-year-old American successful the 2nd circular earlier applying the finish.

She has present recorded her eighth vocation triumph by submission, portion it was lone the 2nd clip Esparza has been submitted successful her 12-year career.

Poirier defeats Chandler successful all-time classic

Dustin Poirier marked his instrumentality to the octagon with a triumph implicit chap American Michael Chandler successful an enthralling battle.

The 33-year-old, who has not fought since losing to Charles Oliveira past December, submitted Chandler successful the 3rd circular via a rear-naked choke.

Chandler, 36, was the aggressor successful the aboriginal stages of the archetypal round, but Poirier withstood the unit earlier dropping 'Iron Mike' conscionable earlier the buzzer.

The 2nd circular was controlled by Chandler arsenic helium utilised his wrestling from the crushed which saw Poirier travel unstuck.

But it was Poirier who would travel retired connected apical successful the last circular arsenic helium sunk successful a choke which forced the erstwhile Bellator lightweight champion to tap.

McCann's blistery streak is halted

Molly McCann was comprehensively beaten and submitted by Erin Blanchfield successful the archetypal circular of their contest.

The 32-year-old combatant from Liverpool had pocketed 2 knockout wins earlier this twelvemonth but was outclassed by the awesome American.

Blanchfield, 23, utilised her superior wrestling quality and finished McCann with a brutal kimura armbar.

McCann, who came into the combat arsenic an underdog, was taken down aft 50 seconds and was past incapable to get backmost to her feet earlier Blanchfield secured the win.

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