“I started winning fights in the UFC he unfollowed me,” Phil Hawes talks about the weird rift with Israel Adesanya
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Phil Hawes and Israel Adesanya
UFC middleweight prospect Phil Hawes opened up about his friendship with Israel Adesanya. Hawes was once one of the best prospects the game had produced.
Phil Hawes is coming off a victory against Kyle Daukaus at UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs Moreno. The fighter did not get off on a start he would’ve liked but he sure did end up winning the fight by decision. He has an impressive record of 11-2-0 in his professional MMA career. Recently, the middleweight fighter spoke about his relationship with the champion Israel Adesanya in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.
“Like I always say, it’s not Izzy I’m hunting for, I’m hunting for the belt and Izzy happens to have the belt,” Hawes said. “There’s no ill will towards Izzy, we were friends back in the day. We used to follow each other on Instagram, but then when I started winning fights in the UFC he unfollowed me. I know, it’s weird. I know he’s watching.” Phil has all his focus on the belt and will fight anybody who has it.
Phil Hawes found it weird that Isreal Adesanya would do that
Both the fighters met each other in their time at Blackzilians. Phil said that they weren’t the best of friends but Izzy helped him a lot with his fighting techniques. “I was at Blackzilians at the time. We weren’t best friends, but we clicked, he showed me some techniques, he’s got high high-level striking. He showed me one of the techniques I still use to this day and that was maybe five or six years ago,” he said.
“We followed each other on Instagram, I had a hard time finding fights and I hit him up and he hit me up with promoters, he gave me the names, tried to help me find fights, and things like that. We were always cool, then one day I was like, ‘What? Izzy doesn’t follow me?’ A little weird, but I know he’s watching, it’s cool. … I guess it’s competition now, so let’s get it.” Hawes isn’t offended by Adesanya’s behavior but he looks at it as a sign of competition.
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Prateek Athanur
(2944 Articles Published)