Latest news with #UFC287
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Israel Adesanya: Alex Pereira 'exponentially getting better,' can beat Magomed Ankalaev
Israel Adesanya: Alex Pereira 'exponentially getting better,' can beat Magomed Ankalaev Israel Adesanya has faith that Alex Pereira can bounce back in a title-fight rematch against Magomed Ankalaev. After three light heavyweight title defenses, Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was dethroned by Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) in the UFC 313 main event in March. Although he stuffed all 12 of Ankalaev's takedowns in the fight, he was ultimately outstruck in a unanimous decision loss. The expectation was for Ankalaev and Pereira to run things back, but according to Ankalaev, "Poatan" isn't ready for a rematch just yet. If Ankalaev vs. Pereira 2 is indeed next, Adesanya thinks his former foe can avenge the loss. "I'm so proud of the guy, what he's done," Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. "It's like I created a monster. He showed why he is who he is across two weight classes. I can't wait to see the next fight with him and Ankalaev again. I think it'll be another hard one, but I think he can get it done, because it wasn't a complete washout for that fight. He's exponentially getting better, as well." Adesanya knows a thing or two about avenging losses. Pereira was the one to put a stop to his first middleweight title reign when he knocked him out at UFC 281, but Adesanya was able to exact his revenge by scoring a knockout of his own in their rematch at UFC 287. Two kickboxing matches, and two MMA fights later, Adesanya and Pereira have since buried the hatchet.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC full fight: Gilbert Burns spoils Jorge Masvidal's Miami homecoming
UFC full fight: Gilbert Burns spoils Jorge Masvidal's Miami homecoming Watch Gilbert Burns notch arguably his biggest career win Gilbert Burns's most recent UFC win was a big one. At UFC 287 in 2023, the former UFC welterweight title challenger handedly defeated Jorge Masvidal, inaugural BMF champion, in a unanimous decision in Masvidal's backyard of Miami. It was a solid victory for "Durinho" and arguably the biggest one of his 30-fight MMA career. It was also his second win in a row, following an instant-classic war with Khamzat Chimaev the year prior. You can watch Burns' dominant win over Masvidal in the video above. Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC Fight Night 256 (ESPN+) – which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He takes on rising, undefeated contender Michael Morales (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in a five-round bout.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
David Goggins explains what sets apart Israel Adesanya in the UFC
Photo byIsrael Adesanya isn't quite sitting at the top of the UFC middleweight division anymore, but what he's done in the sport still echoes loudly—and for someone like David Goggins , it's not just the wins that matter. It's how he got them. After Adesanya's huge comeback win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 , Goggins, a man who's built his life around toughness and mental grit, explained what he sees in Adesanya that separates him from every other fighter in the game. And it's not just about the knockout . David Goggins reveals why Israel Adesanya has the strongest mindset in the UFC Israel Adesanya's rivalry with Alex Pereira is the kind of story you almost can't script. Three losses—two in kickboxing, one in the UFC—and then, out of nowhere, a thunderous knockout that turned the tide. It was more than just a win; it was Adesanya reclaiming his narrative. And David Goggins noticed something not everyone did. 'No one, no one that I've ever seen—the way you celebrate, you celebrate in that moment,' Goggins told Adesanya during a conversation on the FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo 'You're not like, 'Oh, I won,' and then you come back and do it. [No], you already visualized what the f*** you were gonna do because when you beat him, it happened so fast with you pulling for those arrows… That s*** was sick.' Israel Adesanya and David Goggins Chat Before Their BRUTAL Training Session Turns out, Adesanya did visualize it—down to the bow-and-arrow celebration he pulled off in the Octagon. He'd rehearsed it in the shower, knowing exactly how he wanted that moment to go down. But what really impressed Goggins wasn't the celebration—it was the road Adesanya had to walk just to get there. He'd torn his MCL just weeks before the fight. He could've pulled out. He didn't. 'You kept coming after the demon,' Goggins said. 'How fast you came back after you lost, that was purposeful.' And the fight itself wasn't easy. Pereira was battering Adesanya's legs again—just like he did the first time. 'After the second [leg kick], I was like 'f***, again?'' Adesanya admitted. But he stuck through it, bounced off the cage, and cracked Pereira with a right hand that dropped him like a stone. Also Read: Dustin Poirier plans Lil Wayne walkout for UFC 318 retirement fight against Max Holloway This is what Goggins is talking about. The knockouts, the belts, the highlights—they're great. But it's the mindset, the visualization , the refusal to quit when every reason to do so is staring you in the face—that's the real win. As Goggins said, 'That mindset? That's the separator.' And for Adesanya, it might be what keeps him in the conversation of all-time greats, even when he's not holding the belt.
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kamaru Usman jokes 'it's not fair' if Israel Adesanya doesn't fight Alex Pereira again
Kamaru Usman jokes 'it's not fair' if Israel Adesanya doesn't fight Alex Pereira again Kamaru Usman tells Israel Adesanya he can't close his chapter with Alex Pereira now. After losing to Pereira twice in kickboxing and once in the UFC for the middleweight title, Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) was able to finally get one back on "Poatan" by reclaiming his belt with a knockout of his own at UFC 287. Despite being down in their rivalry, Adesanya was content to move on. Former UFC welterweight champion Usman thinks Adesanya should entertain the idea of facing Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) again after people had repeatedly expressed interest in a trilogy bout in MMA. "That's not fair, it's not fair," Usman said on the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Henry Cejudo. "You can't make me play this game four or five times and then when you finally beat me, you're like, 'I'm done. I'm done.' That's why (fans) would be like that." Adesanya, who's currently on a three-fight losing skid, explains why he's at peace with his rivalry against now light heavyweight Pereira. The pair were recently seen seated next to each other at UFC 312, and appear to have buried the hatchet. "He's a hard fight, he knows I'm a hard fight," Adesanya said of Pereira. "I'm not scared to fight the guy, it's just it's a hard fight and whenever I fight him, I know that I'm in for it and he knows the same thing. So I finally got what I needed to get from that saga, and if I beat him now, what are they going to say? 'Actually, it's 3-2' or whatever. They'll make up some new sh*t."
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Israel Adesanya wants Sean Strickland rematch: 'I gotta get some get backs'
Israel Adesanya wants Sean Strickland rematch: 'I gotta get some get backs' Former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya wants revenge against Sean Strickland, the fighter who ended his second title reign. Israel Adesanya is eager to get back on track by getting one back on Sean Strickland, who ended his second UFC middleweight title reign. Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) was pleased with his preparation for his first fight of 2025, but still came up short against Nassourdine Imavov in February. After 12 consecutive title fights, "The Last Stylebender" competed for the first time without gold on the line, a period stretching back to February 2019. Some believe Adesanya's best days are behind him. He acknowledges that he's older as a fighter, which has prompted changes in his approach to fighting, but is still finding inspiration in seeing friends like Alexander Volkanovski win big title fights. Despite the recent string of losses and competing less often, Adesanya recently caught the itch again after a rare sparring session with Kamaru Usman. "I didn't spar after my last fight because I did so well in the fight, so well in the camp, and I didn't get the result I wanted," Adesanya said in a video on his YouTube channel. "But I was like, I'm still proud of myself. I'm still proud of the way I worked. So then I didn't spar because I just looked after my brain, and then when I was in Miami recently watching Volk get his belt back in Miami as well, then I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months. I knew once I sparred, I'd be like, 'Man, y'all got any fights?' "So for me now, I'm like, OK, I told Hunter (Campbell) already, I told coach, that it's time. I just knew, and I know who. I have a feeling who I want to fight. You'll like this one. I gotta get some get back. Strickland. I'm gonna get him back." At UFC 293, Strickland clearly defeated Adesanya on the scorecards with identical 49-46 scores across the board to win the middleweight title and end Adesanya's second reign. It was a stark contrast to the fight prior, where Adesanya created one of the best highlights in recent history by knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC 287 to reclaim the title he lost to Pereira six months prior. Adesanya credits Strickland for his performance that fateful night in Australia, but if he gets the rematch, this time around he'll be doing it for the younger version of Adesanya who was bullied as a kid. "Because he beat me fair and square in Sydney, five-nil," Adesanya said when asked by David Goggins why he wants to rematch Strickland. "Just whooped my ass badly. And again, that was one of the things what made me realize that I need to slow down in my activity. I was fighting like three, four times a year as a champion. So, I was like, I'm going to pull back now because I'm older, I'm doing things different. So, I don't want to make excuses, because he beat me, but then I just want to show him, if you beat me at my best. This time, I'm gonna come at him correct." "Everything he's done since that – because, I used to get bullied a lot as a kid," Adesanya said. "So, he's an embodiment of that in a sense. He attacked the young me, the inner child. So, I just want to protect him and get some get back for him."
