To say Alexander Volkanovski was excited to see Israel Adesanya regain the middleweight championship of the world at UFC 287 would be an understatement.
Adesanya became a two-time UFC champion when he brutally knocked out Alex Pereira in the second round of Saturday’s main event in Miami. While it may have looked like Pereira had the upper hand and was landing big shots while Adesanya’s back was against the fence, “The Last Stylebender” answered with a massive overhand counter right before landing the blow that knocked Pereira out cold.
Watch Volkanovski’s immediate reaction to Adesanya’s big win in the video below.
Volkanovski and Adesanya have been friends and training partners for many years, and once again, they hold UFC championships at the same time. Adesanya was able to get one back after suffering three straight losses to Pereira throughout their storied rivalry that began in the kickboxing ring and continued on into the octagon.
For Volkanovski, he is currently targeted to face interim champ Yair Rodriguez in a unification bout at UFC 290 in July.