After defeating his long-time rival, Alex Pereira, in their fourth match, Israel Adesanya has declared that he has no interest in fighting him for a fifth time. Adesanya regained the UFC middleweight championship in Miami with a second-round stoppage of the Brazilian, who had defeated him in their previous three bouts, including two kickboxing contests. Adesanya said at the post-fight press conference, “I don’t keep score, I settle them. Now it’s settled.” Meanwhile, Nigerian politician Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Adesanya on Twitter for his victory, praising the fighter for his resilience and unwavering self-belief. Adesanya clinched the title by landing two right-hand punches that sent the 35-year-old Pereira to the canvas. Nigerian Youth and Sports Development Minister Sunday Dare praised Adesanya’s “never say die” attitude and urged him to be a role model for young people and an ambassador for mixed martial arts in Nigeria.
