Tag: Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya Reflects On Settling The Feud With Dricus Du Plessis

We’ve seen it happen time and time again where the tension that exists pre-fight between two competitors is put to bed once they meet inside the Octagon. This was certainly the case in the main event of UFC 305 in August where Israel Adesanya returned to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title. The […]

We’ve seen it happen time and time again where the tension that exists pre-fight between two competitors is put to bed once they meet inside the Octagon. This was certainly the case in the main event of UFC 305 in August where Israel Adesanya returned to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title.

The feud dated back over a year and reached boiling point following Du Plessis’ win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 290 where in his post-fight interview, he was joined in the cage by Adesanya for a heated exchange. Unfortunately, “Stillknocks” wasn’t able to make the quick turn around to fight the champion at UFC 293 but with Adesanya losing the title only for Du Plessis to win it from Sean Strickland at UFC 297, the match-up came back around.

After Du Plessis submitted “The Last Stylebender” in the fourth round to defend the title in Perth, they shared a brief but respectful exchange in the immediate aftermath. Footage later came out on social media of one final meeting between them backstage where they pleasantly parted ways.

In a recent appearance on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, Adesanya spoke about putting the rivalry with Du Plessis to bed.

“Yeah we’re cool. After the fight, we had a nice discussion, yeah it was cool. Just like a moment and then at the end he said, ‘If you’re ever in South Africa, you know, tap in’ and I was like ‘yeah sure’ and I said when I see you again, I’ll try and kill you and he goes ‘I’ll try and kill you too’ and we just hugged.”

He said that despite the animosity that previously existed between them, it’s normal for fighters to shake hands and put the past behind them after competing against one another.

“That’s how most fighters are, there’s only some who take it to that place and then like keep it like that after the fight but nah, we’re all on the same journey and again, he’s achieved his dream now.”  

Israel Adesanya Details Lapse In Concentration That Cost Him At UFC 305

In his return to the Octagon at UFC 305, there were a lot of positives to take from Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis even if he was defeated. “The Last Stylebender” failed to capture the 185-pound gold for a third time but it was clear that his time away from the […]

In his return to the Octagon at UFC 305, there were a lot of positives to take from Israel Adesanya’s middleweight title fight with Dricus Du Plessis even if he was defeated. “The Last Stylebender” failed to capture the 185-pound gold for a third time but it was clear that his time away from the spotlight had produced some benefits.

Heading into the championship rounds, the challenger appeared to be in the ascendancy but eventually, in the fourth round, the unwavering persistence of “Stillknocks” paid off and he was able to catch Adesanya, take him down and secure the rear-naked choke. The former champion said in the aftermath of the fight that he was happy with his performance but he made some crucial mistakes that cost him.

During a recent appearance on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, Adesanya spoke more in detail about the mistake that he made right at the end of the fight.

“The mistake was just a lapse in focus cuz I tripped, bad footwork, and I tripped and then that was when he was kind of throwing at me and people thought like ‘Oh! You hurt him’ and I got up and I was like (points) the ground.”

He said that though some may have thought he was pointing to the ground to beckon Du Plessis on, he was instead trying to make the point that he had tripped rather than stumbling due to any damage that he had taken. He went on to say that in his previous fights, you never see him lose concentration for a single second.

The one instance that the City Kickboxing fighter referenced where he did take his eyes off his opponent was during his fight with Derek Brunson where he gestured towards the referee because Brunson grabbed his shorts multiple times. Adesanya believes that this one moment swung the fight against Du Plessis in the defending champion’s favor with the finish quickly following it.

“Even that moment right there, I shouldn’t have. Just stay focused on the task at hand cuz you need 30 minutes of focus while you’re in there so you can’t even have just a lapse in judgment for a split second because if not, people can jump on you and capitalize and I’ve done that to people as well but this time, it got done to me.”

Former UFC Champion Wants To Fight ‘Fake’ Israel Adesanya If He Ever Returns

In 2021, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley departed the UFC to explore the next phase of his career. Four consecutive losses inside the Octagon brought an end to his 16-fight run with the promotion which saw him win the title at 170-pounds and record three title defenses, four if you count the draw in […]

In 2021, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley departed the UFC to explore the next phase of his career. Four consecutive losses inside the Octagon brought an end to his 16-fight run with the promotion which saw him win the title at 170-pounds and record three title defenses, four if you count the draw in his first fight with Stephen Thompson.

“The Chosen One” then went into boxing where he became the second major name from MMA to face Jake Paul in the ring. After losing a split decision in their first encounter, he was then knocked out in a rematch in December of 2018.

Woodley has not returned to competition since then but he has spoken about substantial offers that he has regularly received to dust off the gloves for one last dance. In a recent interview with Plejmo, the former champion spoke about who he would want to share the Octagon with if he did ever make a return to the UFC.

The 42-year old said that there’s one current star in the promotion in particular who is in and around his weight class that he would like to lock horns with. Woodley went on to voice his opinions regarding the former two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya who he believes is “fake”.

“I never thought about going back, but now when I look at the UFC, there’s not that many stars. Alex Pereira is a beast. He’s a big-ass 205 pounder, so I can’t see myself getting in there with him. Israel Adesanya is a fighter I would definitely fight. I’m not a huge fan of his. I just don’t like people that are just fake. He was conveniently African. Before that he was UK. Before then, he was like an avatar breakdancing guy.  The UFC needs some star power in there. There’s a lot of fighters that are kind of in my class of fighting that’s still fighting in the UFC. Some of those fights would be kind of cool.”

Report – Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the works for Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1

Report - Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the works for Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1Israel Adesanya is back! According to a report from knockoutalerts on Instagram, a scrap between ‘The Last Stylebender’ and…

Report - Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the works for Fight Night card in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1

Israel Adesanya is back!

According to a report from knockoutalerts on Instagram, a scrap between ‘The Last Stylebender’ and Nassourdine Imavov is in the works to headline the UFC’s second event in Saudi Arabia on February 1. MMAMania.com’s Alex Behunin confirmed that Adesanya vs. Imavov is the planned main event for the promotion’s return to Riyadh, though he noted that contracts have not yet been signed.

Adesanya will be coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his mixed martial arts career, suffering a decisive decision defeat against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 before falling in the fourth round against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 in August.

The ‘Stylebender’ has competed in 12 straight UFC championship bouts dating back to April 2019. If his clash with Imavov does come to fruition, it will be Adesanya’s first non-title fight since a win over Anderson Silva at UFC 234.

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Imavov gunning for the biggest win of his career against Israel Adesanya

Since a loss to Sean Strickland in January 2023, Imavov has been on a roll, scoring a trio of wins against Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, and Brendan Allen. Overall, the ‘Russian Sniper’ is 15-4 in his mixed martial arts career and currently sits as the No. 5 ranked middleweight contender in the UFC.

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A victory over Adesanya would undoubtedly be the biggest of his career, thrusting him toward the top of the contender’s list and setting the stage for his first shot at UFC gold.

Thus far, four other bouts have been lined up for the UFC’s return to Saudi Arabia. They include:

  • Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
  • Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Jamal Pogues
  • Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page
  • Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
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VIDEO: Israel Adesanya Applauds Jon Jones Performance During UFC 309 Live Reaction

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya appeared impressed while watching Jon Jones send Stipe Miocic into retirement with a brutal kick this past weekend. Jones and Miocic headlined Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, completing their long-awaited matchup over a year on from an injury shelving it first […]

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya appeared impressed while watching Jon Jones send Stipe Miocic into retirement with a brutal kick this past weekend.

Jones and Miocic headlined Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, completing their long-awaited matchup over a year on from an injury shelving it first time around.

Returning from a spell on the sidelines that spanned over three and a half years, many dismissed Miocic’s chances of unseating Jones and adding a third heavyweight reign to his illustrious record.

And the veteran ultimately failed in his pursuit of proving them wrong, with “Bones” following a dominant opening round by eventually finding the finish in the third frame with a vicious spinning side kick to the body.

In spite of many focusing on his avoidance of Tom Aspinall, Jones’ latest triumph on MMA’s biggest stage drew widespread plaudits, including from some UFC peers whom he’s not always seen eye to eye with…

During a video recently uploaded to his FREESTYLEBENDER YouTube channel, Adesanya reacted live to the events that unfolded on the UFC 309 main card at MSG.

The Nigerian-New Zealander didn’t have much to say during the finishing sequence in the headliner, instead simply applauding Jones’ work.

“He did it, as he does,” Adesanya said. “Great main event. … Good to see Stipe hang them up. I still think he went out on top.”

He was subsequently asked the question on everyone’s lips — will a unification fight with Aspinall happen?

“I think it’ll happen. If Jones is not retiring, I think they’ll figure it out,” Adesanya said. “Talk to Hunter (Campbell), talk to Dana (White)…sit down in the War Room, they’ll hash it out, they’ll figure it out.”

While Jones initially appeared to tease a stance switch inside the Octagon when he suggested he could give the masses what they want, he quickly reverted back to dismissing Aspinall and expressing a desire to face Alex Pereira when he arrived backstage.

Israel Adesanya Sees Quick End for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic Bout, Two-Round Finish

Israel Adesanya Sees Quick End for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic Bout, Two-Round FinishIsrael Adesanya thinks Jon Jones gets the job done at UFC 309. Jones’ return to the Octagon this Saturday…

Israel Adesanya Sees Quick End for Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic Bout, Two-Round Finish

Israel Adesanya thinks Jon Jones gets the job done at UFC 309.

Jones’ return to the Octagon this Saturday night inside Madison Square Garden will see him fight for just the second since before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a worldwide shutdown in March 2020. Following his quickfire submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, ‘Bones’ will put his undisputed heavyweight title on the line against two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic — another fighter who’s been inactive for the last three-and-a-half years.

Jon Jones

While Jones vs. Miocic has been a fairly contentious fight for fans of the sport, and likely won’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things, it still presents and intriguing matchup between two of the greatest fighters of all time.

Offering his breakdown of the often-maligned main event via his YouTube channel, ‘The Last Stylebender’ started his assessment by looking back at Jones’ spectacular heavyweight debut 20 months ago.

“Jones lately looks better at heavyweight already,” Adesanya said. He has been taking this seriously, and again, the way he fights… like, bro, the Ciryl Gane fight was the one that made me go, ‘Yeah, nah, he’s the best.’ Cause I thought Ciryl Gane was gonna give him some trouble. Ciryl was like the new-age heavyweight, and Jones was like, ‘Hold my beer,’ and he just… sneakily, none of us knew—even DC was like, ‘What did he catch him with?’ It was like a sneaky front choke. The guy is just crafty, creative with what he does.”

Israel Adesanya predicts an early night for jon jones

Of course, you can never count out a tough-as-nails scrapper like Stipe Miocic. After all, the Cleveland native is the only man in UFC history to hold the heavyweight title on two separate occasions. He’s also the only one to defend it three consecutive times, defeating Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou in the process.

“But with Stipe… Stipe is tough,” Adesanya said. “He can outwork a lot of heavyweights. You’ve seen what he’s done in the past, you’ve seen his reign as a heavyweight. He’s knocked people out, submitted people. But in this fight, man, I think he’s up against it.”

Jon Jones

But even after glazing Miocic, the ‘Stylebender’ is riding with ‘Bones’ to get the job done inside the world’s most famous arena.

“I’m gonna pick Jon Jones,” Adesanya added. “I’m gonna pick it by maybe the second or first—yeah, first two rounds, he’s gonna finish him. But again, this is fighting—sh*t happens. It could just be a zig-zag, boom. If Stipe gets it done, it will be the biggest upset in UFC history. If he gets it done… and that should be motivation enough for him to wanna get it done, yeah.

“I’m gonna go Jon Jones within the first two rounds. I don’t know if it’s gonna be a knockout or a submission, but I feel like Jon might try and enjoy this and soak this up.”

Jon Jones