UFC 276 results: Israel Adesanya outpoints Jared Cannonier, solidifies rematch against Alex Pereira
Adesanya #Adesanya
LAS VEGAS – Boos met Israel Adesanya on the final horn and decision-reading, but fan opinions don’t determine the final outcome.
In the UFC 276 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Adesanya (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) defeated Jared Cannonier (15-6 MMA, 8-6 UFC) by unanimous decision, earning official scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 50-45 in his favor.
The first two rounds set the tone. Adesanya remained patient, much like in his fight against Yoel Romero at UFC 248. Cannonier tried to initiate the action, unable to mount much offense. Meanwhile, the small things Adesanya did were successful.
In Round 2, an inadvertent eye poke led to a timeout and referee examination. Cannonier wiped his eye with a wet cloth and gave the thumbs up. There was some gamesmanship at the end of the frame, as Adesanya finger-wagged his opponent after a love tap to the midsection by Cannonier after the horn.
From Round 3 to Round 5, Cannonier found an increasing amount of success. However, it wasn’t enough in the eyes of the judges. Cannonier found success in control against the fence, but no damage mounted. In the final round, Cannonier went for broke and landed some good punches, but Adesanya returned. The final bell sounded and the boos rained down.
With the victory, Adesanya defends his title successfully for the fifth time and wins his third fight in a row. He also sets up a third combat sports fight against longtime rival Alex Pereira, who knocked out Sean Strickland earlier on the main card.
There’s only one man @Stylebender wants next – and that’s Alex Pereira 😤 #UFC276 pic.twitter.com/iFNbXt7hdE
— UFC (@ufc) July 3, 2022
As for Cannonier, his two-fight winning streak is snapped. Before UFC 276, Cannonier defeated Kevlin Gastelum and Derek Brunson in succession to earn his first shot at UFC gold.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 276 results include:
Gallery Israel Adesanya def. Jared Cannonier at UFC 276: Best photos List Twitter reacts to Israel Adesanya’s ho-hum title defense over Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 Gallery UFC 276: Official scorecards from Las Vegas