Deontay Wilder's knockout loss costs Israel Adesanya a $26,500 bet cashout

Fortunes once again failed Deontay Wilder earlier this evening and this time Israel Adesanya also paid for it.

The former WBC heavyweight champion took on No.2-ranked WBO contender Zhilei Zhang at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Given the knockout prowess of both men, the fight was expected to be an absolute slugfest. However, the pair initially exercised caution during the bout, wary of each other's power.

'The Last Stylebender' had high hopes for Wilder and had placed a $10,000 bet on the American to win by knockout, with a payout potential of $ 26,500. Unfortunately for the Nigerian-born Kiwi, it was 'The Bronze Bomber' who suffered a fifth-round TKO against the Chinese national.

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Wilder started the fight strong, largely winning the exchanges in the opening round. However, Zhang soon took over.

The deciding moment came when Zhang stunned Wilder with a right hook, spinning the American around. 'Big Bang' rushed to close distance and then cracked Wilder with another right hook, putting him down to the canvas.

'The Bronze Bomber' forced himself back to his feet to beat the 10-count. However, sensing the 38-year-old was still on wobbly legs, the referee called a stop to the contest.

Watch Deontay Wilder get knocked out by Zhilei Zhang below:

Wilder is now 1-4 in his last five and holds a professional record of 43-4-1. On the other hand, Zhang improved his record to 27-2-1 with the win. It might not take long for him to land a crack at the title.

Meanwhile, Adesanya has been on the sidelines since losing his middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. While the 34-year-old teased plans to take a long break from the sport till 2027, he has since been rumored to fight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305.

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