No UFC competitor performs it as well as Israel Adesanya. There is no doubting what Israel Adesanya accomplished in the top promotion, even though the two-time UFC Middleweight Champion may not be as successful as he was a few years ago. Before losing three straight fights to Nassourdine Imavov, Sean Strickland, and current champion Dricus du Plessis, Adesanya accumulated style points in his most recent victory over longtime kickboxing opponent Alex Pereira, who was ahead 3 nil from the ring to the Octagon. In their kickboxing rematch in 2017, Pereira became the first man to knock out Adesanya. In 2022, he repeated the feat in the UFC with a standing TKO (UFC 281). Shortly after, at UFC 287, Adesanya knocked out "Poatan" cold in the second round and proceeded to shoot fake arrows at his lifeless body, ending the series between Pereira and Adesanya. David Goggins on Israel's Adesanya defeating Alex Pereira in the MCL rupture Adesanya's flawless knockout of Pereira may have made it appear simple, but the former champion had a difficult journey to get there. Knowing deep down that he could defeat his "demon," Adesanya approached Dana White for a rematch right away four months after losing to Pereira at middleweight for the first time in November 2022. "You persisted in pursuing the demon," Goggins remarked. "It was intentional how quickly you returned after losing."