Alex Pereira completed a meteoric rise to UFC middleweight championship with a fifth-round TKO win over Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 281 from Madison Square Garden.
Pereira continues to have Adesanya's number across combat sports. The two men met in the kickboxing ring, and the Brazilian came out on top both times, knocking Adesanya out in the rematch.
As it turns out, Pereira's kickboxing and power have transitioned seamlessly to the MMA cage.
Pereira only needed seven professional fights and three wins in the UFC to earn a crack at Adesanya. Now, he's the champion.