"Negative aura farming" - Fans weigh in as Israel Adesanya's TKO loss bears an uncanny resemblance to controversial Alex Pereira low-blow moment

Israel Adesanya’s TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia has drawn striking comparisons to Alex Pereira’s controversial low-blow moment during his bout with Jamahal Hill at UFC 300. Adesanya, once a dominant middleweight champion, entered the fight against Imavov after losing three of his last four bouts.

Despite a promising start, the fight took a sharp turn in the second round when Adesanya, after being poked in the eye, chose not to take a break and continued pressing forward. This decision allowed Imavov to seize the moment, landing a devastating overhand right that dropped Adesanya to the canvas.

Fans on social media quickly drew parallels between this moment and Pereira's infamous response to a low blow at UFC 300. Pereira, after receiving a low blow from Hill, waved off the referee's intervention and capitalized on the brief opening to knock Hill down and eventually win the fight.

In contrast, Adesanya’s decision to continue without recovery time ultimately led to his downfall, with Imavov capitalizing on the window of opportunity. Taking to social media, one fan wrote:

“Bro did the reverse Pereira 😭”

Another added:

“Negative aura farming”

MMA content creator MMA Guru criticized Adesanya’s move, stating:

“Moments before disaster for Israel Adesanya. You're not Holloway - You're not Pereira. Both times he tried to aura farm for a TikTok edit he was finished within the next 30 seconds #UFCSaudiArabia. Spent his life pretending to be someone he wasn't and lost for that very reason.”

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Israel Adesanya's mid-fight injury. [Screenshot courtesy: X]

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Israel Adesanya faces uncertain future after knockout loss

Israel Adesanya has long been celebrated for his striking prowess, now confronts a challenging period in his career. His last major high came at UFC 287 when he reclaimed the title with a knockout of Alex Pereira. However, losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis have since marred his record.

Acknowledging the emotional toll of his recent setback, Adesanya admitted on the UFC post-fight show on ESPN:

“I hate disappointing my fans, my team – my team feel proud of me because of the work I put into this. It’s just the thrill and agony."

Despite these hurdles, Adesanya remains resolute:

"I have to chill and then think about things. I will relax first for a little bit, just help the teammates who have fights coming up, and yeah, see what I want to. I was going to do that anyway, but you know, now I’m forced to. Shoutout to Nassourdine for that.”