Israel Adesanya has made an interesting observation about what it means to step into the world of MMA and why UFC CEO Dana White once claimed that “Fighting’s in our DNA”! ‘The Last Stylebender’ has been away from the Octagon after suffering a shocking loss to heavy underdog, Sean Strickland, in their middleweight title clash at UFC 293 in 2023. Coming into the fight as the overwhelming favorite, Adesanya lost a unanimous decision and his title to Strickland following which he announced that he would be taking a break from competition.

In an interview with ‘The Rock FM’, Adesanya stated, “Now I’m going to take time to look after myself, and I’m not going to fight for a long time.” However, it appears that he is ready to reclaim his crown as he will be taking on current champion, Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305 on August 17. As such, in an interview with ‘TODAY’, ‘The Last Stylebender’ revealed how MMA isn’t a sport for “everyone” and why combat sports are so fascinating to watch!

Secret behind UFC’s appeal and challenges of a being a champion revealed by Israel Adesanya 

Israel Adesanya is a two-time UFC middleweight champion and with 5-successful title defenses under his belt, he has cemented his legacy as one of the most active and successful champions/competitors in the 185 lbs. division providing him with a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed at that level.  

During his conversation with the team of ‘TODAY’, shared on YouTube, Adesanya broke down why it’s easy for people to say they want to be a UFC champion without knowing what it takes to make it under the bright lights of the Octagon. Adesanya stated, “You know, everyone wants to be a champion till you have to train for 5 rounds, 5 minutes each time and then have to do it in front of millions and millions of people, in front of the whole world.”

When one of the hosts of the show brought up the fact that watching the UFC sometimes makes her feel, “…really uncomfortable”, the former middleweight champion responded by stating, “It’s not for everyone, but again neither is Rugby, neither is League, neither is any kind of sport. Everything’s got some kind of risk of violence to it but it’s you know, this is the ultimate sport.”

Adesanya further went on to highlight the primal appeal of watching fights as he echoed UFC boss Dana White’s statements from his appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast. ‘The Last Stylebender’ stated, “Dana says it best, ‘This is in our DNA, you could have any kind of sport going around, if a fight breaks out, everyone stops and goes (turns head around).’”

As such, Israel Adesanya’s comments highlight the fact that his journey back to the Octagon is not just about reclaiming his title but also about embracing the very essence of what it means to be a fighter. However, during the recent press conference for UFC 305, Adesanya was on the receiving end of a jab from his rival, ‘Stillknocks’ for picking up a different sport as a hobby during his hiatus!

‘Stillknocks’ fires shots at Adesanya over “retirement sport”

The rivalry between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya has become one of the most intriguing tales in the MMA sphere. While the UFC 305 press conference was largely an uneventful affair, things did heat up for a moment when Adesanya responded to a claim by Du Plessis that he didn’t care about ‘The Last Stylebender’ taking an issue with his ‘African champion’ statement.

This prompted a sharp response from Adesanya who stated, “I don’t really give a f**k where he’s from, but I’ll show him who he is.” However, the middleweight champion didn’t stay quiet as he fired back by stating, “Whatever that means, I’m glad you took up golf because that’s your retirement sport. I can understand you starting playing golf.”

In conclusion, the clash between Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya promises to be a thrilling encounter with the history between the two as a backdrop to this epic showdown. Do you think Dricus Du Plessis will shut down Israel Adesanya’s attempt to climb back to the top of the middleweight division? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!