NEW YORK (AP) — Alex Pereira defeated Israel Adesanya by TKO in the fifth round to win the UFC middleweight championship on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Pereira rocked Adesanya in the final round of the main event and improved his overall against his rival to 3-0. The 35-year-old Pereira defeated Adesanya twice in their old kickboxing days. Adesanya was still the betting favorite but could not finish the job after a pair of close calls earlier in the bout.
