(Video) 4 ‘killers’ thrown Israel Adesanya’s way in preparation for UFC Saudi Arabia
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya demonstrates his wrestling routines ahead of his fight against Nassourdine Imavov.
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Israel Adesanya showcases impressive wrestling prowess (Image via Imago/YouTube)
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is scheduled to face Nassourdine Imavov this coming weekend. Due to his recent performance in the promotion, Adesanya is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation. The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter has showcased his rigorous training regimen in the lead-up to the big fight.
Israel Adesanya trains alongside several notable UFC fighters, including Dan Hooker, at the City Kickboxing camp in New Zealand. The camp is currently focused on preparing one of its superstar fighters for an upcoming matchup against Nassourdine Imavov. Recently, Adesanya shared glimpses of his training sessions on his YouTube channel (@FREESTYLEBENDER).
In a lengthy video lasting over 10 minutes, Adesanya showcased intense wrestling takedown drills with his training partners. Notably, the former UFC middleweight champion demonstrated his strength by tossing them around the gym. This preparation is understandable, considering that his upcoming opponent possesses considerable grappling skills.
😮💨🤼Israel Adesanya takes down 4 fighters in a row while preparing for his fight at #UFCSaudiArabia
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) January 27, 2025
🎥 @stylebender ▫️ pic.twitter.com/3s0mBWFjpQ
Imavov, who is originally born in Dagestan, has a strong background in wrestling, which isn’t surprising given the region’s reputation for producing talented grapplers. As a promising UFC middleweight, he has won most of his fights by decisively outmatching his opponents, often through decisions. Meanwhile, Adesanya is seeking a resurgence in his UFC career and has strengthened his weaknesses.
Israel Adesanya chimes up to discuss his mentality ahead of the UFC Saudi Arabia fight
‘The Last Stylebender’ is considered one of the most dominant champions in UFC middleweight history. However, at 35 years old, Adesanya is currently struggling to regain his momentum in the promotion. Notably, he suffered tough losses in his last two fights against Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. As a result, such losses after a dominating UFC career have taken a toll on many, but not ‘Izzy.’
Adesanya’s upcoming fight against Imavov will headline UFC’s second event in Saudi Arabia. With only a few days remaining before the bout, the former UFC middleweight champion shared his current state of mind. While some may think that Adesanya is feeling pressure due to his losing streak, he asserts that he is not.
There’s a certain mentality when you’re undefeated, you’re (expletive) killing everyone. When you’ve had one loss, and another loss in two different styles, and you’re like, ‘Okay, at least the worst part’s over in my head.’ Now, I can just like, who cares? I don’t care. Just enjoy this fight…I think it’s going to be a fun fight, just box it up.
Israel Adesanya via Sky Sports New Zealand
Adesanya expressed that he wants to relish the excitement of competing in an MMA fight again. Notably, this upcoming match will be the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter’s first non-title bout since February 2019. Now, it remains to be seen if Izzy can outclass and defeat a rising contender in his middleweight division.
Related: Why does Israel Adesanya hate Monster Energy? Is there a villain in this UFC lore?
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Nilaav Gogoi
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