Alex Pereira's knockout loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 may have resulted in a facial fracture, according to a video that YouTuber Dr. Brian Sutterer posted on Sunday. Pereira was knocked out by Adesanya in their rematch at UFC 287 last Saturday in Miami, losing his UFC Middleweight Title to the man he defeated.
Following some early success against Adesanya, he was caught off guard with a powerful right-hand counter that knocked him out.
A number of post-fight clips revealed that Adesanya's knockout strike had taken a toll on Pereira's face.
Based on his observations of Pereira's facial swelling in comparison to the usual human's facial anatomy, Dr. Sutterer believes Pereira may have suffered a major fracture.
Dr. Sutterer notices a deformation on Pereira's jawline caused by Adesanya's knockout strike. Pereira has not been publicly diagnosed with any medical difficulties, although that information may become public in the coming weeks as medical suspensions are issued.
Prior to his loss at UFC 287, Pereira was unbeaten in his UFC career. He recently defeated Sean Strickland and Bruno Silva before facing Adesanya in back-to-back battles.
Pereira is expected to return by the end of 2023, but a facial fracture could throw that timeframe off. Meanwhile, he will concentrate on his physical and mental rehabilitation after one of the most horrific knockouts in UFC history.