Sean Strickland does not like Israel Adesanya. At all. The middleweight has talked about his disdain for Adesanya’s penchant for anime, wearing nail paint, and being what he considers ‘weird’. Adesanya for his part, takes every opportunity to provoke and get a rise out of the American. He has, for instance, announced he will fight ‘Tarzan’ with nail paint on as he knows how much it annoys Strickland.

This animosity is an important reason that Strickland will be facing Adesanya for the middleweight crown at UFC 293 in Australia next Sunday. Originally scheduled to face Dricus Du Plessis, Adesanya pushed for Strickland after the South African pulled out to recover from a shoulder injury. And ahead of the bout, ‘Izzy’ has come out with a statement that has fans divided.

Israel Adesanya hints at submission victory ahead of Strickland fight

In an interview with ‘Stake.com’, Israel Adesanya said that while he was still unhappy with his progress in grappling, he was improving. He promised that he would have his first victory via submission in the future. Adesanya comes to the MMA from kickboxing, in which he had a prolific career prior to the UFC, racking up a record of 75 wins in his 80 fights. While his striking and counters are perhaps the best since Anderson Silva, his grappling skills are underwhelming. But, Adesanya has his eyes set on a submission pretty soon.

“You should see me in the gym, I’m nice with it, but I’m still learning. Under the lights, there is going to be a moment that I take a neck. I’m a purple belt by colour but I still feel like a white belt,” a confident Adesanya told the interviewer.

Fans react to Israel Adesanya’s statement

Fans were not pleased with his boasts and took to social media to give him a piece of their mind. Here is a sample of some of their comments.

“why does he talk like he’s in an anime?”

“Anyone else feel the downfall fall of Izzy is coming ?”

“I just can’t stand the way he talks like how can you be in your mid 30’s and act like you’re 12 trying to play as a main character “

“He makes his haters so madd and I’m here for it”

Read More – “To War”- Sean Strickland Breaks Silence With a Jibe at Israel Adesanya As UFC 293 Fight Set for Sydney

“Man just say it out loud that you are gay”

“He still grapples like a white belt “

“Bo and Khamzat still wipe the floor with him”

“That’s good he’s working on his wrestling my dream fight is Khamzat vs Izzy it’ll be one of the greatest fights in UFC history “

“Tbh he will do whatever he wants to Strickland”

Israel Adesanya is a divisive figure in the UFC. While already one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, his unique and colorful persona is not everyone’s cup of tea, as the fans’ reaction indicates. Well, there is good news for them. Maybe he will get knocked out by Sean Strickland at UFC 293 next week, utterly humiliating Israel Adesanya. What do you think about Adesanya’s statement? Let us know in the comments section below.

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