The main event at UFC 307 was all about Alex Pereira, who once again proved that even the strongest opponents couldn’t stand tall against him, as he knocked Khalil Rountree Jr. out in the 4th round of their bout. What’s more impressive is that this was the Brazilian’s third consecutive successful title defense in a span of 7 months. And Israel Adesanya seemed to know that bringing Pereira down would be pretty tough. After all, he rightfully predicted the KO at Delta Center.

Adesanya sat down together with Andrew Schultz and his friends to watch the event live on a big screen. But it was the way he reacted to Pereira’s dominance that caught the fighting community’s attention, as the video began circling the internet. As the fight commenced, Adesanya predicted, “If Khalil knocks him out, it’s gonna be amazing. But I think Alex knocks him out.” 

‘The War Horse’ proved his strength by staying strong till the 4th round. Although the fight began with ‘The War Horse’ sending some furious strikes, the 3rd round witnessed a strong knee that seemingly injured Rountree’s spirit along with his nose. Just before the 4th round began, Adesanya said, “I can feel it. I can feel it. Like now it’s gonna be Chama time. Holy sh-t! This is it! It’s over now!” 

Israel Adesanya has personally experienced the strong fists that the ‘Poatan’ sends forth during his fights. After all, the duo have fought each other quite a few times and Alex Pereira dominated the arena both at Glory Kickboxing and UFC. However, their 4th bout had a different outcome with Adesanya rising victorious over Pereira. 

The reaction that escaped ‘Stylebender’ when one of Pereira’s left hooks severely damaged Rountree in the eye showed how impressed Adesanya was. No doubt, he had admitted defeat and agreed that his rival was stronger. And as the ‘Poatan’ finally knocked Rountree out with his fists, Adesanya exclaimed, “Yo, that’s what I’m saying, body! That’s what I’m saying, body…” He was pretty amazed at how Khalil Rountree Jr. stood tall till the 4th round against ‘Poatan’. He continued, “Shows how good Khalil is. But again he’s got some hard fights in front of him. But he’s that guy right now. He’s on!”

But there’s a catch to Pereira’s back-to-back victories. Back when Jiri Prochazka was set to fight Pereira for the light heavyweight belt at UFC 303, he blamed the Brazilian’s involvement in shamanic rituals that got him the wins. What does Adesanya think about it? Well, he was left with no choice but to affirm.

‘Stylebender’ reveals the practice that earns ‘Poatan’ his wins

During a conversation with Joe Rogan in episode #164 of the JRE MMA Show, Adesanya confirmed that Pereira had himself perform shamanic rituals before his fights. And that somehow ensured his victory inside the Octagon. “You know what Jiri said about the whole juju thing? Like that’s real. That’s real,” said the middleweight fighter.

Adesanya then recollected the time when he fought Pereira. He said, “I was beating his a-s, had him hurt at the end of the first round… and then he gets me in the last round. It’s his spirit, his whatever, like ancestors or his people, that are praying for him… The way he carries himself. Something about him just, he knows how to recover well.”

Nevertheless, the kind of performance Pereira showed at UFC 307 convinced the entire world of combat sports that he could defeat most of the light heavyweight fighters with ease. Despite getting lashings from his peers about leaving his guard down and torso vulnerable, ‘Poatan’ reeled his opponent in and caught him with some strong attacks. Recovering from hits seemed to come easy for the champ, and victory, even easier. 

What are your thoughts on Pereira’s performance against Rountree? Let us know what you think of Adesanya’s words for his rival in the comments down below.