Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya offered an explanation for his unusual pectoral muscle at UFC 253.
The truth behind UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s swollen pectoral muscle, seen at UFC 253, might have been revealed.
In September, Adesanya defended his championship successfully against former No. 1 middleweight contender, Paulo Costa. Despite Adesanya’s spectacular finish, which marked the first ever knockout loss in the professional career of Costa, there was something else that might have eclipsed his victory. During his portion of the fighter announcements, conducted by longtime UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, the camera panned over to Adesanya, who appeared to have something weird going on with his right pectoral muscle as it was unusually flaccid.
Because this was something never before seen in regards to the physique of Adesanya, theories for why that may have happened went wild, with alleged steroid abuse at the forefront of the unsubstantiated claims. When the issue first arose, Adesanya gave as much information as he could at the time, which was very limited because he had not yet seen a doctor. Now, Adesanya says he was simply dealing with a case of gynecomastia brought on by his apparent overuse of marijuana.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani of ESPN, Adesanya explained that he underwent several tests to determine the cause of the gynecomastia and once again denied the PED accusations being levied against him.
“Pituitary gland was checked, hormone levels were fine, estrogen and testosterone,” said Adesanya. “So, yesterday we had an ultrasound and a mammogram. I had one yesterday for the first time. To be honest, it might have just been unhealthy living a little bit. Like smoking weed, that’s what the doctor from the UFC said. [He] said I need to stop, but I’m not stopping. I’m just gonna slow down. I’m not stopping smoking weed. Ever.”
Since the Costa fight, Adesanya has reported that the swelling of his pectoral muscle has decreased significantly. In light of this, he also took the chance to fire back at the idea he would even take steroids.
“It’s calmed down. It’s just a fat deposit,” said Adesanya. “I mean, after a performance like that, I’d think I was on steroids too because it was just mind-blowing. What the f**k did I just do to that guy? The guy that, ‘He walked down [Yoel] Romero! No one walks down Romero! Why didn’t he just use his boxing? Costa should’ve just stuck to his game plan, he would’ve won!’ It like nah, bruh. There’s the common denominator. Some people are so stupid sometimes and it really baffles me. I’m like do yo understand you look stupid? All of you. You look stupid because there’s a common denominator. There’s a reason he couldn’t use his boxing. There’s a reason he couldn’t just walk me down. If you know fighting, if you know, you know.”
For those wondering about or questioning the reason Adesanya gave, it has been validated by a doctor by the name of David Abbasi. Abbasi has been following the “Pec-Gate” saga and provided an update to reflect the news from Adesanya. In a short video, the doctor explains that it is “very possible” that Adesanya’s gynecomastia was caused by an overuse of marijuana as it is a common cause for men between the ages of 18 and 35.
With the situation now figured out, Adesanya looks forward to his next fight, which may come against current light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz at a later date in 2021.