Israel Adesanya Releases a Statement Ahead of his Return to Middleweight at UFC 263 Against Marvin Vettori

Published 06/04/2021, 9:43 AM EDT

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya spoke out via Twitter and shared his state of mind ahead of UFC 263. ‘The Last Stylebender’ returns to action against Marvin Vettori after losing to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 in March. Chiefly, the defeat marked Adesanya’s first loss in MMA and fans are excited to see how he performs.

Adesanya expressed an interest to claim ‘another moment in history’ in his return to the UFC’s middleweight division. His loss to Blachowicz came at the light heavyweight and Adesanya remains undefeated in the weight class he calls home. It’s hard to deny that he’s had less than stellar performances against elite competition in the division.

I love fighting.
It’s times like these that I really just appreciate what I do for work. I’m even looking forward to having the buzz of the fans in the arena. Soaking everything up and claiming another moment in history. This ain’t even some headline tweet, I’m just freestylin’.
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) June 4, 2021

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Israel Adesanya: Making his mark

‘The Last Stylebender’ has always been clear that he’s keen on making a lasting impact when it’s all said and done. He’s made it a point to rack up some iconic finishes and his resume is slowly beginning to bulk up. His last fight at middleweight was an absolute beat down of rival Paulo Costa that took place at UFC 253.

Not to mention, ‘The Last Stylebender’ and his team, City Kickboxing suffered a personal tragedy by the loss of an associate. From Adesanya’s recent tweet, it’s clear that he’s keen to draw inspiration from the adversity that has befallen him. Israel Adesanya will have to bring his A-game as he will be met by a highly motivated Marvin Vettori.

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Both men encountered each other at a time when they were focused on coming up in the organization. Despite losing to Adesanya, Marvin Vettori stayed the course and racked up five straight wins on his way to the rematch. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and will undoubtedly want to come out with the winning hand.

UFC 263 will be a defining night for the Nigerian-born, New Zealand-made champion. All eyes will be on him as he looks to assert himself in the weight class he currently reigns supreme over. Moreover, there are several game challengers already waiting in the wings to take aim at his crown.

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.

Israel Adesanya Releases a Statement Ahead of his Return to Middleweight at UFC 263 Against Marvin Vettori

Israel Adesanya: Making his mark

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