via Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria battles Yoel Romero (not pictured) in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
via Imago
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Israel Adesanya of Nigeria battles Yoel Romero (not pictured) in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Israel Adesanya said he will be living by the moniker of a ‘fighting champion’. But after four fights in one year in 2018, Izzy has slowed down the frequency at which he takes fights since becoming champion in 2019. He fought twice last year, which was still more times than a lot of other UFC Champions.
In those two fights, Izzy beat Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa. They are universally the two toughest opponents to fight in that division. His title win came over Robert Whittaker, one of the best Middleweights of this generation. He is now moving up to 205 to face Jan Blachowicz for the Light Heavyweight Championship.
However, these aren’t easy fights, and Darren Till agrees.
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As much as I think Uriah hall is a tough fight for Adelasagne in fact for anyone in the division.
Adelasagne ain’t picking his opponents.
He’s fought all killers.
Just my opinion.— karen Till (@darrentill2) February 1, 2021
Though Till made the tweet humorous by misspelling Adesanya’s name the way he did, his point is very true. Adesanya hasn’t fought any easy opponents since ascending to the top. This is a hot topic right now after Uriah Hall criticized Adesanya for picking opponents, despite all this evidence to the contrary.
READ MORE: ‘I Want to Fight Him So Bad’ – Uriah Hall Accuses Israel Adesanya of Cherry-Picking Fights
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Israel Adesanya: ‘Picking’ his opponents?
However, Hall could be correct in one way. Israel Adesanya does literally pick his opponents. Ever since he became champion, he has personally chosen his next three opponents. He called out Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa in the same interview, but clearly stating his intention that he wants to fight Romero because Costa is injured.
via Imago
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Israel Adesanya of Nigeria and Paulo Costa of Brazil face off prior to their middleweight championship bout during UFC 253 inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on September 27, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
When Costa came back, Adesanya happily fought him. Romero and Costa are two of the hardest hitting fighters in the division, and both were very deserving of the shots they got. Nobody skipped anyone in line to face Izzy- it all made sense.
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While him fighting Blachowicz doesn’t make the same sense, as he is literally picking his opponent again and leaving a division behind, it is different. Jan Blachowicz is not an easy fight under any circumstance. He decimated the man that almost beat Jon Jones for the title in Dominick Reyes.
Adesanya has fought exclusively elite talent since becoming elite himself. Darren Till clearly agrees.
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