Israel Adesanya ‘blanks out’ about super fights after UFC Saudi Arabia battle

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya addresses the buzzing topic regarding his potential super fights in the UFC.

Israel Adesanya ‘blanks out’ about super fights after UFC Saudi Arabia battle

Israel Adesanya (Image via Imago)

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is widely regarded as one of the most popular and sought-after fighters in the promotion. Throughout his career, he has been associated with several notable UFC fighters, including Kamaru Usman. However, he seldom seeks out these matchups. Currently, Adesanya is frequently linked to a few potential super fights.

Israel Adesanya recently participated in an exclusive interview with Sportsnet.ca, where he appeared to dismiss all rumors regarding potential super fights. Additionally, the former UFC middleweight champion made it clear that he is focused on his upcoming match. Adesanya is set to face Nassourdine Imavov this coming weekend in the headliner bout of UFC Saudi Arabia.

No, I mean, I did that when I was coming up in the game cause I needed to, and I needed to map out and dictate what I did, but I’ve already established what I need to establish in this game. So, now it’s not really, now, I’m just looking at Imavov, that’s it. He’s the only person in my sights.

Israel Adesanya via Sportsnet.ca
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At one point in his UFC career, Adesanya was one of the most dominant champions in the middleweight division. The Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter defended his title five times, solidifying his reign in the promotion. As a result, Adesanya became a popular and highly sought-after opponent. Prominent fighters, including Khamzat Chimaev, have already expressed interest in facing him in the octagon.

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Unfazed by recent events, Israel Adesanya clarified that he is not currently seeking super fights as an established fighter. Instead, the former UFC middleweight champion expressed his desire to make a strong comeback in the division. Notably, he has been capturing everyone’s attention with his continuous training clips and footage shared on social media.

Israel Adesanya trains with former rival ahead of his UFC Saudi Arabia headliner fight

Israel Adesanya trains at the City Kickboxing gym in New Zealand, alongside several other notable UFC stars. Over the years, ‘Izzy’ has maintained a cheerful persona within the promotion, which has resulted in former rivals holding no personal grudges against the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter. One noteworthy example of this is his rivalry with Alex Pereira.

Robert Whittaker joins Israel Adesanya ahead of his fight against Nassourdine Imavov
Robert Whittaker joins Israel Adesanya ahead of his fight against Nassourdine Imavov (Image via Instagram)

Recently, another of Adesanya’s former rivals shook his hand, highlighting the mutual respect shared among fighters. Robert Whittaker, against whom Izzy fought twice and won both times, recently made an appearance on social media alongside Adesanya. Notably, they also shared snippets from their training session where Izzy and Whittaker were sparring with each other.

Adesanya’s upcoming fight against Nassourdine Imavov is of significant importance to him. Notably, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is set to compete in a non-championship match for the first time since February 2019. This comes after his recent consecutive defeats to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. Now, it remains to be seen if Izzy can turn things around at UFC Saudi Arabia.

Related: Robert Whittaker wife: Who is the UFC star married to?