Israel Adesanya was hyped for UFC 325, with several of his teammates stepping in against tough opposition. But while the former middleweight champ was locked in to watch the show, one of his friend’s fights spiraled into a horror show, ending in a crushing defeat. 

That teammate was Adesanya’s longtime friend and City Kickboxing partner Dan Hooker, who took on Benoit Saint-Denis in the UFC 325 co-main event. In the fight, both lightweight stars had their moments, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Still, for the former 185-pound kingpin, it turned into an emotional roller coaster as he watched his training partner fade and ultimately lose the fight, despite a promising first-round showing. 

Israel Adesanya’s laughter turns to silence after Dan Hooker’s devastating loss at UFC 325

“Nice, single leg. Good man, good man. Hahaha… nice Dan!” Israel Adesanya said in his reaction video after Hooker mixed in some sharp body kicks while sneaking in a single-leg takedown, showing a solid game plan early. However, just as the Kiwi-Nigerian was praising his compatriot, Saint-Denis flipped the script, quickly wiping the smile off Adesanya’s face. 

“Oooh. Underneath.. Watch out for the triangle,” the former 185-pound kingpin warned as the Frenchman tightened his grip. “The arm’s locked… now find underneath. He’s fine, he’s breathing. Use your arm. Yes.. now find a way. Scramble. Scramble now. Shift.. Shift…” Adesanya continued, growing more anxious as Hooker struggled to hold position, and was dominated by ‘God of War’ from the top, losing in the 2nd round via TKO. 

Top Stories

Dana White’s Nightmare Continues as UFC 325 ‘Robbery’ and Paramount+ Issues Anger Fans

“Rest in Peace”: Conor McGregor Joins Millions in Mourning Late ‘Home Alone’ Star Catherine O’Hara

UFC Star Gives Classy Response to Inappropriate Question About Ian Garry’s Family Amid Race to Fight Islam Makhachev

UFC 325 Payouts: How Much Will Alexander Volkanovski, Diego Lopes, and Others Earn

Jon Jones Reacts to His Name Coming Up in Epstein Files

It was a rough night for ‘The Hangman’, who has now dropped back-to-back fights. Adesanya felt that loss just as deeply, watching his longtime teammate bloodied and bruised inside the octagon. Even so, the 36-year-old former champion still believes in Hooker’s ability to bounce back stronger.

“Yeah. Good fight. After the first round, I think he was on. It was just the straight weapons. Pop, pop. I was expecting a knee. But you know, when you’re in there, it’s different. Anyway, more dreams to ruin—he’s going to ruin more dreams,” ‘The Last Stylebender’ added, borrowing Hooker’s own “ruining dreams” line from the UFC 325 media day.  

While Adesanya was clearly gutted watching one close friend fall short, the night was not all heartbreak for him. Another one of his teammates ended up cementing their place at the top, and this time, Adesanya could not hide his excitement.    

‘The Last Stylebender’ celebrates Alexander Volkanovski’s title defense at UFC 325

Israel Adesanya’s close friend and teammate, Alexander Volkanovski, also competed at UFC 325, headlining the main event. Beating Diego Lopes for the second time, ‘The Great’ delivered an even more dominant performance than their UFC 314 clash last year in Miami. Watching his longtime friend add another big win to his legacy, ‘The Last Stylebender’ was full of praise as Volkanovski secured a unanimous decision victory. 

“And then finally Volk in the main event. I felt like some of those shots dropped Diego like mere mortals. But Diego and that Aztec head. He just said chop arms. So yeah, Volk did it. UD clean sweep!” the Lagos native said in his YouTube reaction video, reacting to the Aussie claiming the GOAT featherweight status in Sydney.

As Adesanya pointed out, his champion City Kickboxing teammate put on a vintage showing in front of his home crowd in Sydney. Still, he also made sure to credit Lopes for eating some massive shots and continuing to push forward, showing Adesanya’s appreciation for grit and toughness, even when it comes from his friend’s opponent.

That said, with Israel Adesanya experiencing both heartbreak and joy while watching UFC 325 unfold, what was your reaction to the event? Let us know in the comments section below.