“Just the casuals” – Joe Rogan and Kamaru Usman blast “blood-thirsty” MMA fans who call Israel Adesanya’s fighting style “safe”


“Just the casuals” – Joe Rogan and Kamaru Usman blast “blood-thirsty” MMA fans who call Israel Adesanya’s fighting style “safe”

Joe Rogan (L), Israel Adesanya (C) and Kamaru Usman (R)

By his own insane standards, Israel Adesanya has had somewhat of a lackluster couple of years. Coming off the back of a stunning counter-striking 1-2 to finish Robert Whittaker off in emphatic fashion, and not to mention winning the title in Whittaker’s backyard; it seemed like “The Last Stylebender” could do no wrong. Then came the absolute wizardry with which he laid out the bulky Paulo Costa onto the canvas in the second round itself, in 2020.

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Still one of the UFC’s biggest superstars, the Nigerian-Kiwi fighter’s aura has waned a little. In 2021, he moved up to 205 pounds to challenge Jan Blachowicz and got outwrestled the majority of the fight. Since his only defeat, he has beat Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker (for the second time), and Jared Cannonier in decision victories. Apart from the Whittaker rematch, Adesanya controlled the fights against both of his opponents.

However, this is what has made Adesanya come under fire from the MMA community, especially the fans. Adesanya’s USP is his ability to use his lean and wispy body to deliver knockouts that people need to slow down to see. He just is that fast and is most possibly the best striker in the UFC. The failure to put on a striking masterclass has made people label him “boring” and put on a “snoozefest” each time he fights.

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“Izzy fought the way he should’ve fought” – Joe Rogan sees nothing wrong with Israel Adesanya’s fighting style

Israel Adesanya and Joe Rogan
Israel Adesanya and Joe Rogan

Whatever the fans might believe they see, it is always up to the experts to be able to decode if a fighter is fighting smart, or just playing it plain safe. In a bid to defend the future Hall of Famer Adesanya, Joe Rogan, in a JRE podcast episode with ex-Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, explained why Israel Adesanya is still a world-class fighter who puts on a spectacle each time he fights.

With reference to the Jared Cannonier bout, Rogan said “You better fight in that way… that guy (Cannonier) will knock you into the next f***ing dimension… he’s got ruthless knockout power.” Speaking about why Adesanya chose to outpoint him, rather than delivering reckless night-ending shots, he added that “When Izzy was setting Jared up; he was moving, outpointing, striking. If Jared went wild and crazy, Izzy would have knocked him out.

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Echoing the podcast host’s words, Kamaru Usman specifically attacked people who crave for someone to hit the deck each time, stating that “People are trying to keep it a bloodsport.” To this, Joe replied and said, “It’s just the casuals man!”

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Joe Rogan also went on to explain the likeness between Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya’s approaches to title defenses – saying that some fighters choose to fight the two elite strikers in a cautious way. The reckless thing, according to Joe, would be to open oneself up in a flurry of attacks.

Israel Adesanya’s next fight is on 12th November at Madison Square Garden, New York. In one of the biggest pay-per-view events held in 2022, the Middleweight champion will take on Alex Pereira, who has beaten “The Last Stylebender” twice already, albeit in kickboxing events. Who wins the trilogy between the rivals, according to you? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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