Can’t say he didn’t warn us.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been accused of being “crass” and “not good for the sport” because of his in-cage antics, like the “unnecessary” dump-and-pump spectacle that had everyone up in arms after UFC 253, including UFC veteran Dan Hardy.
There was also that “disrespectful” behavior outside the cage.
That’s probably why “The Last Stylebender” had a good chuckle at the crowd-brawling “car crash” at UFC 296 last weekend in Las Vegas, when UFC CEO Dana White, self-admitted “a—hole,” sat middleweight champion Sean Strickland next to UFC 297 opponent Dricus Du Plessis.
The South African is no stranger to middleweight controversies, thanks largely in part to his “ugly” face off with Adesanya.
“I mean, at least he didn’t call him a n****,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “Fully respectable champions and title challengers. That’s what they did. ‘Oh, Israel is so embarrassing as a champion. Goes in the cage, meh, meh, meh.’ Then this is what they do. They sucker punch them. He actually did. He jumped over the chair, sucker punched him and they had a little scrap.”
Like Strickland said, “sometimes the CTE takes over.”
“I liked it. I like a s*** show,” Adesanya continued. “Don’t we all? We all see a car crash, we won’t look away.”
Adesanya, 34, (temporarily) walked away from combat sports after losing the 185-pound title to Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney, a bout that was supposed to go to Du Plessis. Adesanya’s absence subsequently opened the door for “Stillknocks” to challenge “Tarzan” at UFC 297.
Assuming we can make until Jan. 20 in Toronto without those two killing each other.