UFC’s 2022 visit to Madison Square Garden culminated in a historic win for Alex Pereira at UFC 281. The Brazilian bested his nemesis and defending champion Israel Adesanya for the third time in his career to win the UFC Middleweight gold.
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The main event turned out to be a thriller that left spectators on the edge of their seats. The night, however, ended in heartbreak for Adesanya fans as their beloved fighter came up short against his archrival for the third time.
Fans react to Israel Adesanya losing at UFC 281
UFC 281 was a sad night for ‘Stylebender‘ fans as their idol lost only his second match ever in the UFC. However, the stakes of the match, both professional and personal, made this a tough loss for team Izzy. ‘Poatan’ finished Adesanya on the feet in the final round after the latter had won three of the previous rounds.
Fans of the former middleweight champion took to social media to let their disappointment out.
Sport is so unforgiving. Izzy is so clearly better than Alex. He's shown that in all their fights but Pereira' power is the ultimate equalizer.
— Alex_Walsh (@alexwalsh6) November 13, 2022
Never seen a guy have 3 lucky wins against another fighter, unreal. This time the buzzer saved him, can't fucking believe it, i feel sick. It's so clear Adesanya is the better fighter. How this dude has 3 wins over him, i will never know. Still love you Izzy, still the best.
— Talsea (@SillahTafsir) November 13, 2022
I'm so fucking sad bro, the day I didn't think would come finally came, is what it is, i guess
— シロ (@ciroonavarro) November 13, 2022
Man, I'm finna breakdown, this stuff hurts to watch sometimes 😔
— Jayy (@jayyyymyburgh) November 13, 2022
One fan observed an interesting similarity between the UFC 281 main event and two other title fights from earlier this year.
Three title holders winning going into their final round. Three title holders got finished in the final round. This year has been insane
— MMA SZN (@mma_szn) November 13, 2022
Another fan gave props to the new champion while acknowledging how heartbreaking it must have been for Adesanya.
Happy for Alex and I wanted him to win, but when I saw Izzy losing at the end, I felt horrible for him! dang near made me want to shed a tear. great fight from both men.
— James (@Trickerd7) November 13, 2022
Another fan pointed out how unreal the whole Pereira-Adesanya rivalry has been.
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This fight felt like an anime fight the whole way through. It was just insane. The story behind this fight too is just unreal.
— Meatman (@TheRay523) November 13, 2022
Aside from the massive disappointment he suffered, Adesanya fought like a champion and almost finished Pereira in the very first round. He also showed his superiority in the striking department at times and won several rounds off of the Brazilian. An immediate rematch is possible, given that Adesanya has beaten most of the top contenders in the division already.
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What are your thoughts on Adesanya vs. Pereira? Where do you think Izzy goes from here? Let us know in the comments below.