Former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, has won his first MMA Junkie Knockout of the Year Award for his second-round-round KO of Alex Pereira in April 2023,
Adesanya has previously won many awards in mixed martial arts, including Newcomer of The Year, Fight of The Year, and Male Fighter of The Year but he has never won the Knockout of The Year award until now.
The fight against Pereira in April 2023 was their second in UFC and their fourth in combat sports with Pereira 3-0 up before Adesanya won and became a two-time middleweight champion, while also claiming the Performance of The Night award at UFC 287.
The knockout happened after an intense leg kick battle in the first round and a more aggressive exchange in the second and Adesanya landed two decisive right hands. The accuracy and power of the shots ended the fight and cemented Adesanya’s place as the ‘Knockout of The Year’ recipient.
His second-round knockout reclaimed the UFC middleweight championship and marked his first win against Pereira in their four-fight rivalry in combat sports.
He became the eighth UFC fighter to emerge a two-time champion.
