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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC: Israel Adesanya sends message to Alex Pereira after debut KO – ‘we need something new’

  • UFC middleweight champ says he hopes to see his former Glory Kickboxing nemesis within four fights after Brazilian’s stunning debut
  • ‘Good job Pereira, that was nice,’ Adesanya says, after watching stunning flying knee KO at UFC 268 in New York

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Alex Pereira celebrates after his TKO victory against Andreas Michailidis in their middleweight bout at UFC 268. Photos: AFP
Nicolas Atkin

Alex Pereira may not have mentioned Israel Adesanya’s name after his stunning promotional debut at UFC 268 on Saturday night in New York, but he didn’t need to.

The former Glory Kickboxing two-weight champion caught his old rival’s attention with a flying knee KO of Andreas Michailidis that had commentator Joe Rogan gushing after the featured prelim bout at Madison Square Garden.

The finish came just 18 seconds into the second round, after the Greek “Spartan” had tried to nullify the Brazilian with his grappling in the first round, only to tire himself out.

“It’s pretty much like me and [Derek] Brunson – he’s trying to find a way [to grapple] because he’s scared of the striking,” Adesanya said on his personal YouTube channel.

“Because you know he’s going to shoot, well-timed knee just straight up. Bang. There it is. I thought he was going to do it when he shot in, but I didn’t think he was going to fly at him.

“We need something new. Especially after you lap the division again.”

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