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UFC 287: Israel Adesanya delivers inspiring speech after KO of Alex Pereira stuns MMA world

Israel Adesanya's right hand found Alex Pereira's chin at UFC 287 on Saturday, and with it, some catharsis.

The former UFC middleweight champion once again became the current UFC middleweight champion with a win over his personal nemesis Alex Pereira, who had beaten him twice during their kickboxing careers and once with a fifth-round shocker at UFC 281.

Adesanya didn't let his fourth shot at Pereira go to waste, even as it seemed like he had finally found a person who had his number. Adesanya, once the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA, had defended his title against five different challengers and already had a track to the UFC Hall of Fame, but found greatness once again in the second round.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 08: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria celebrates after knocking out Alex Pereira of Brazil in round 2 to reclaim the middleweight title during UFC 287 at Kaseya Center on April 08, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Israel Adesanya is a UFC champion again. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Pereira seemed to break through Adesanya's defenses, pushing up "The Last Stylebender" against the cage, but two rights in response from Adesanya knocked the Brazilian out cold.

Adesanya wasted no time celebrating what was likely the sweetest victory of his career. He quickly mimicked Pereira's arrow celebration, firing multiple imaginary arrows into his fallen opponent, and unleashed a scream:

Adesanya has always been one of the most talented fighters in MMA, but even seasoned UFC fighters were stunned by what they were seeing:

With the win, Adesanya now holds a 24-2 career record, with his only losses to Pereira and then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. He becomes the first two-time middleweight champion in UFC history, per ESPN Stats & Info, and ties his idol Anderson Silva for the most knockouts in UFC middleweight history with 13.

After the dust settled, Adesanya used his post-fight ESPN interview to deliver one of the most charismatic and inspiring speeches you will hear from an athlete:

Adesanya's full statement:

"People, earth. I need to say something, listen to me. I hope everyone behind the screens on this arena can feel this level of happiness just one time in your life. I hope all of you can feel how f***ing happy I am just one time in your life, but guess what? You will never feel this level of happiness if you don't go for something in your own life, when they knock you down, when they try and s*** on you, when they talk s*** about you and they try to put their foot on your neck.

"If you stay down, you will never, ever get that resolve. Fortify your mind and feel this level of happiness as you rise. One time in your life, but I'm blessed to be able to feel this s*** again and again and again and again and again."

As always happens after a pivotal MMA matchup, the conversation soon turned to what comes next for Adesanya. There is a pretty natural next step: a trilogy fight with Pereira, though who knows if the UFC wants to throw the former champ back in at this point in his career.

Some fighters still wanted to see it:

However, UFC president Dana White said after the fight that he expects Pereira, who has always been a very large middleweight, to move up to light heavyweight.

There were other middleweights trying to figure out their place in line. Khamzat Chimaev, the mercurial sensation who recently moved up to middleweight after mowing through some serious welterweight names, immediately demanded a fight.

There were also two of Adesanya's past opponents, former middlweight champ Robert Whittaker and Marvin Vettori. Adesanya has beaten each of them twice, but he's now beaten pretty much every established middleweight contender at this point.

Out of left field came Blachowicz, who offered Adesanya a rematch at middleweight this time. Blachowicz is coming off a bizarre draw against Magomed Ankalaev to reclaim his light heavyweight belt, which many believed should have been a win for Ankalaev.

And then there was rising star Bo Nickal, who already has his next fight against Tresean Gore set up for UFC 290. There's never a bad time to think about the future, though.