Alex Pereira has revealed he tore ligaments in his middle finger prior to beating Israel Adesanya to become UFC champion.
Brazilian star Pereira earned a last-gasp KO win over long-term rival Adesanya in New York earlier this month. Adesanya was ahead on the scorecards going into the final round, but 'Poatan' unleashed a barrage of shots to close the show.
There will be a whole host of potential fights available for the new division king when he returns, with an immediate rematch against 'The Last Stylebender' currently the front runner for 2023. Despite defeating Adesanya and winning the title after just four fights in the UFC, Pereira believes he has more to give and didn't train to his maximum capability for the clash.