Israel Adesanya ‘very upset’ after not making historical UFC 300 card, says manager

It seems that Israel Adesanya was quite disappointed to be left off of the UFC 300 roster.

Israel Adesanya ‘very upset’ after not making historical UFC 300 card, says manager

Israel Adesanya was upset about not fighting on UFC 300 (via Imago)

UFC 300 is a historic event that every fighter would love to compete in, and the same goes for Israel Adesanya. It looks like Adesanya was really feeling the championship itch ahead of UFC 300. The former middleweight king was so close to making history, but alas, it just wasn’t meant to be.

According to his manager, Tim Simpson, “The Last Stylebender” was ready to headline the historic PPV card. He eagerly awaited the opportunity to step back into the octagon and reclaim his place atop the middleweight division. Simpson told what happened to Ariel Helwani in Las Vegas.

Israel [Adesanya} was very upset that he didn’t do it. Israel, kind of concurrent discussions of [him and Leon Edwards], so I was like, ‘S***, one of them’s going to end up [not being on the card].’ He was ready to go. I don’t think they would have done both of them. It would have been great.
Tim Simpson via The MMA Hour
YouTube video

Can you blame the guy? UFC 300 was shaping up to be one for the ages, a standard of who’s who of MMA royalty. Israel Adesanya, always the showman, was chomping at the bit to be a part of it. The current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, only fought in January. Taking into account the medical suspension, DDP might not have had enough time to prepare for a quick turnaround.

Maybe it’s for the best. A little time off might just be what he needs to recapture that killer instinct and come back with a vengeance. So, UFC 305, perhaps? All signs point to Adesanya returning to headline the UFC PPV in Australia. Barring any major injuries, Adesanya will most likely have the opportunity to reclaim his title in the latter half of the year.

Dricus Du Plessis reveals why he chose not to fight Israel Adesanya at UFC 300

It seems Dricus Du Plessis couldn’t quite capitalize on the biggest opportunity of his career. This is similar to Islam Makhachev turning down the offer to fight at UFC 300, albeit for different reasons. The UFC middleweight champ turned down the chance to headline the historic UFC 300 event.

Dricus Du Plessis on why he declined UFC 300 bout
Dricus Du Plessis on why he declined UFC 300 bout (via Sports Illustrated)

Du Plessis recently was on a podcast. He talked about the injuries he faced after the Sean Strickland fight. These injuries required a good layoff without training. This is why he had to turn down the UFC 300 headliner.

I was in a moon boot. I wasn’t able to train, because with a broken foot, it’s stationary. I couldn’t train. So now you want me to have a six-week camp to fight at UFC 300.
Dricus Du Plessis via Shadow Banned Podcast

You have to hand it to the guy, as he’s got a point. Trying to prepare for a title fight against a legend like Israel Adesanya with a busted foot? That’s a recipe for disaster. It just wasn’t meant to be for Du Plessis. The timing wasn’t right, the body wasn’t right, and the prospect of facing off against Adesanya at less than 100% was simply too daunting.

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