Julius OkorieNigeria-New Zealander Martial Arts star Israel Adesanya, has thrown reports that he might be considering quitting the game, out of the window.
Two-time UFC middleweight champion, stressed that he is not giving up on his career despite consecutive defeats.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelFollowing his second-round TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Fight Night 250 in Saudi Arabia, the 35 year old fighter nicknamed ‘The Last Stylebender’ has crashed in the official UFC rankings slipping two places down to occupy the fourth position with Imavov advancing to the second spot, just ahead of Khamzat Chimaev.
Despite his now disadvantaged position, Adesanya insists it is not over for him.
Addressing the situation on his official X page, he said “As real as it gets, @ufc. Rolled the dice…snake eyes. I’ll be back, gone to get some milk.”
Angove, Adesanya’s striking coach, blamed Adesanya’s defeat on mistake that should have been avoided and credited Imavov for his finishing instincts.
READ ALSO:UFC: Imavov Disarms Adesanya In Surprise Knock-out
“The name of the game, particularly in small gloves: You can’t make mistakes,” Angove told Submission Radio. “We made a mistake. Nassourdine, I would say, with his team, recognized when we made that mistake and they jumped on it – which means they have to have planned. So you’ve got to congratulate them for that. Izzy got poked in the eye. There was a break. Izzy didn’t want to take the break – was just keen on getting on with it. But in doing that, he didn’t reset as you normally would and create some space.
“That means you’re still in the firing zone, and then you want him to keep the pressure on. It’s just one of those things.
Sean Strickland, who challenges Dricus Du Plessis for the 185-pound title in a rematch Saturday at UFC 312, was asked for his thoughts on Adesanya dropping his third consecutive fight.
Rather than kick Adesanya while he’s down, which is the type of behavior fans have come to expect from Strickland, he was classy and respectful noting that Adesanya really has nothing to be ashamed of.
“At the end of the day, Izzy’s made his legacy,” Strickland said. “He made his legacy. If you want to continue to fight, continue to fight. But you’ve done what you wanted to do. You don’t really have to prove anything. You’re a lasting name in the sport. You’ve chiseled your name in it, no shame. Getting older, it happens, you know?”
Strickland’s words of encouragement come as a surprise considering how personal and heated his feud with Adesanya was leading to their UFC 293 title fight in September 2023. On that night, Strickland claimed the middleweight championship with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Adesanya.
Top 10 UFC Middleweight Latest Ranking:
1.Dricus du Plessis
1.Sean Strickland
2.Nassourdine Imavov
3.Khamzat Chimaev
4.Israel Adesanya
5.Robert Whittaker
6.Caio Borralho
7.Jared Cannonier
8.Marvin Vettori
9.Brendan Allen
10.Roman Dolidze
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
