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Israel Adesanya repeated one phrase countless times leading up to his fourth clash with middleweight nemesis Alex Pereira.
“He who laughs last, laughs best,” Adesanya said, both before and after knocking out at Pereira at UFC 287 Saturday night.
In what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable and momentous knockouts in UFC history, “The Last Stylebender” finally—after failing three times previously—bested “Poatan.”
Adesanya finally got some revenge to earn the “last laugh,” but it should just be seen as the most recent laugh, because this laughfest is far from over.
Adesanya Downs Pereira to Reclaim UFC Middleweight Title
From the GODS!!! ⚡️✊🏿😤 pic.twitter.com/6rmYyPAcMN
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) April 11, 2023
Adesanya has not even tied up the all-time series. The chuckle he is enjoying from a well-timed one-liner is nothing in comparison to the years-long running joke Pereira established throughout this rivalry.
One knockout—epic as it was—does not cancel out three losses, but Adesanya’s prancing around like “Poatan” is gone for good.
He did not slay the dragon; He just knocked him out. This one time.
Maybe on a schoolyard would sweet revenge after three whoopings end the bullying, but these two warriors are paid to fight. And fight again they must.
Adesanya’s proved he is one of the greatest champions to ever step into the octagon by knocking out Pereira, but this lone victory will always be remembered as “that one time Adesanya beat Pereira.”
A Nightmare Named Pereira
Pereira followed up a questionable decision victory over Adesanya in kickboxing in 2016 by knocking out and ending the kickboxing career of Adesanya less than a year later. Adesanya debuted in MMA four months after the loss, and the rest is history.
Well, was history. The nightmare followed and Pereira once again prevailed, knocking the mystique off “The Last Stylebender” at UFC 281.
Everyone questioned if Adesanya had simply met his match, but fight fans knew he had it in him—after all, he was winning both fights in which he was ultimately knocked out.
While Adesanya proved he can beat Pereira (this reporter predicted by decision), he’s still behind in the all-time series.
The naysayers will claim the knockout was a fluke. Adesanya’s legacy depends on whether or not he can prove otherwise.
Adesanya Must Prove It Was No Fluke
Any drunk at a local dive bar can “make a funny” every now and then. Some people are even surprised when a wise crack draws a laugh.
That’s how it appeared Saturday night: Adesanya knew he could win, and knew how to win, but still came off as surprised when he did win. His post-fight antics are usually calculated and entertaining but this was a medley of whatever came to mind. He’d certainly planned the bow and arrows, but the dance moves were riffed. Then he childishly mocked a child for a child-like thing the child did when he was an even younger child.
It was like Adesanya—an avid gamer—finally beat the last boss of a video game that he’s struggled with for years. Respawn after respawn, Adesanya kept trying, and he finally solved the puzzle. Now that he’s “beat the game,” he’s ready to put it on the shelf, never to be played again. Or atleast not for now, he claims.
He quashed any immediate trilogy talks, saying Pereira needs to earn it first. Adesanya is in no rush for a rubber match, but Pereira certainly is. “Poatan” can’t make middleweight much longer, and Adesanya himself believes Pereira will be forced to move up, ending arguably the greatest rivalry in mixed martial arts history.
Maybe Pereira can make weight at middleweight one more time, giving both a chance to put that decisive nail in the coffin of this rivalry, but it seems unlikely. Adesanya appears content with the last laugh, his one laugh.
The real losers will be the fight fans, who would likely watch these two square off three times a year until someone wins a Best-of-21 series.
No other fight even makes a blip on the richter scale of battles to look forward to. Sure, Robert Whittaker is deserving, but no one else in the Top 5 gave Adesanya much trouble. Jan Blachowicz offered to ragdoll Adesanya again, this time for the middleweight strap, but Adesanya likely avoids that matchup nightmare if he was already complaining about Pereira’s rehydrating practices. Kelvin Gastelum—who looked better than ever beating Chris Curtis Saturday night—put up a worthy effort in 2019, but he’s not leapfrogging the competition for a crack at the title.
Still, all those fights pale in comparison to the earth-rattling effects a trilogy announcement with “Poatan” would cause.
Besides, does anyone really care to see how Pereira stacks up against anyone else in the division? He literally came to the UFC to fight Adesanya. So let them fight.
Let us see how great this rivalry can truly be with one more epic installment…before it’s too late.
