“He should thank me,” Israel Adesanya reveals behind-the-scenes of UFC fearing ’embarrassment’ from Sean Strickland for UFC 293 Sydney
Israel Adesanya convinced the UFC to let Sean Strickland get the title shot and therefore believes the latter should be grateful to him.
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Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya
Coming from a typical kickboxing background, Israel Adesanya is the current Middleweight Champion. The way he reads his opponents and the strength in his strike are lethal. He holds an MMA record of 24 wins and 2 losses. Other than his combat skills, Adesanya is an entertainer outside the octagon too.
His life and his interests in Japanese anime are widely known. Adesanya last fought Alex Pereira to get back his belt and is scheduled to fight Sean Strickland in UFC 293. Considering Strickland’s rank as No. 5 in the middleweight division, his shot at the title is a blessing.
Sean Strickland’s skills have consistently been undervalued, despite the fact that he possesses an impressive fighting resume. However, Strickland is quite a controversial figure and, at times, vocal beyond reason. Adesanya has admitted that if it were not for him, the fight would not have happened.
“He’s an idiot , and the UFC don’t want him embarrassing the company, he should thank me, he should really thank me for making them get the fight,” Adesanya said. Throughout his time in the UFC, Adesanya has beaten the best middleweights. Robert Whittaker along with Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori are some of his victims.
He has lost only twice in his MMA career. On the other hand, Strickland has had a rough path in the UFC. His record includes commendable wins, but he has also faced several defeats. Adesanya currently ranks 5th in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. His previous losses against Jan Blachowicz and Alex Pereira have not affected him. He is surely a fan favorite for this upcoming bout with Strickland.
Israel Adesanya is the only reigning member of “Three African Kings”
There was a time when Israel Adesanya along with Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman identified as the Three African Kings. Usman has been beaten by Leon Edwards and Ngannou is no longer in the UFC. Ngannou was undisputed at the heavyweight division and Usman was also at the top at welterweight. Now Adesanya is the only remaining African champion in the UFC.
For a while, Israel Adesanya too lost his title to Alex Pereira. The following rematch resulted in his victory. Maintaining a strong hold on the division, Adesanya has always been tough to beat. Other than his loss with Pereira, his only other loss is with Jan Blachowicz.
This was when the 34-year-old was attempting to win lightheavyweight belt. Adesanya is set to fight Sean Strickland in UFC 293. He will do his all to hold on to his title as the middleweight champion, and the only remaining African champion.
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Subhasish Deb
(863 Articles Published)