Adesanya retains UFC middleweight title

Israel Adesanya has retain his middleweight title at UFC 276 in Las Vegas after beating Jared Cannonier over five rounds.

Adesanya, 32, used his superior movement and control of distance to out-strike Cannonier and secure a unanimous decision victory.

Following the win, the New Zealander called out Alex Pereira, who beat Sean Strickland earlier in the night.

“We know who’s next. I’ll put him on skates,” said Adesanya.

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The fight has a backstory in that the Brazilian holds two victories over Adesanya in kickboxing before the pair transitioned to MMA.

In the co-main event, Alexander Volkanovski retained his featherweight title with a unanimous win over Max Holloway.

The Australian’s slick movement and counter-punching was the difference over five rounds as he beat his American counterpart for a third time, bringing their epic rivalry to a conclusion.

Since Adesanya became middleweight champion in 2019, he has dominated the division, outclassing every type of fighter he has come up against.

In Cannonier, he faced an opponent who has won five of his past six UFC fights, while displaying ferocious knockout power.

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Despite Cannonier’s run, he was a heavy pre-fight underdog with bookmakers, with Adesanya saying in he saw nothing in the American’s game which he had not faced before.

The difference between the two was evident from the start.

While Cannonier jogged to the cage with intensity, Adesanya paid tribute to WWE’s The Undertaker, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, carrying an urn and walking slowly towards the octagon with his head bowed.