Adesanya and Poatan watch a UFC event side-by-side. Photo: Instagram/Freestylebender
Israel Adesanya once again recalled one of the most memorable moments of his UFC career. During an appearance on the Precision Podcast, presented in partnership with Demetrious Johnson on YouTube, the former middleweight champion (up to 83,9 kg) revealed that he entered the fight against Alex Poatan in a physically weakened state for the rematch held at UFC 287 in April 2023 in Miami (USA).
According to the Nigerian, the conditions weren't ideal, but the emotional weight of the fight prevailed. After accumulating losses to the Brazilian in kickboxing and also in MMA, Adesanya believed that this could be his last opportunity to settle the score with his rival and regain the category's belt.
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“When I fought Alex Pereira in the UFC 287 rematch in Miami, I was very injured, but I knew it was too personal to cancel. You need to be willing to give it your all in there, and if I hadn’t gone in and faced him that night, I might never have had that chance again,” said 'Izzy'.
The gamble paid off. After losing their first MMA fight at UFC 281 in November 2022, the fighter secured a historic victory by knocking out his opponent in the second round of the rematch, regaining the middleweight title and ending his losing streak against the Brazilian. The triumph was also marked by the Nigerian's celebration, who repeated a gesture made by Alex Poatan 's son years earlier during their kickboxing rivalry.
Even after losing the belt again months later to Sean Strickland , Adesanya still considers the victory over his rival as one of the most important moments of his career. For the former champion, accepting to fight while injured was a necessary risk to achieve the rematch he so desperately sought and to close one of the most intense chapters of his career.
How did the rivalry between Adesanya and Poatan begin?
The rivalry is considered one of the greatest in combat sports. The first chapter took place in kickboxing, when the Brazilian defeated the Nigerian by decision in 2016. A year later, the double champion prevailed again, this time by knockout, consolidating a 2-0 advantage in the matchup.
The rivalry was taken to MMA in November 2022, in the main event of UFC 281. After dominating much of the fight, Adesanya was eventually knocked out by the Brazilian in the fifth round and lost the middleweight title.
At UFC 287 , 'Izzy' got his revenge. With a precise counter-punch in the second round, the Nigerian knocked out Poatan, regained the title in the category and achieved his first victory over his rival, ending a streak of three consecutive losses in the matchup between the two.
Relive Israel Adesanya's knockout at UFC 287
Exactly 2 years ago, 🇳🇬 Israel Adesanya knocked out 🇧🇷 Alex Poatan , regained the UFC middleweight title and finally defeated the Brazilian after having lost to him 3 times (twice in kickboxing). pic.twitter.com/9a8LXO0Qez
— MMA Melotto (@MMAmelotto) April 8, 2025
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