UFC 276: Israel Adesanya beats Jared Cannonier to retain middleweight title

Israel Adesanya outpointed Jared Cannonier over five rounds to retain his middleweight title at UFC 276 in Las Vegas.

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.

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.