Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
What’s next for Israel Adesanya after losing to Joe Pyfer? That’s been a burning discussion since the former two-time 185 lbs kingpin dropped his fourth fight in a row at UFC Seattle. Though many believe ‘The Last Stylebender’ should have retired after his latest loss, they might just hold out for a fun fight. Why? It’s because an NFL legend has called Adesanya out for a clash.
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As an ambassador of UFC Fight Pass, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson was part of UFC 327’s weigh-in show. During a conversation with one of the show hosts, Daniel Cormier, the NFL legend revealed that he’s eyeing a possible debut in the UFC and is looking for a stellar opponent. Without much thought, the former two-division champion threw Israel Adesanya’s name out, which Johnson liked very much.
“I like that! Izzy, Adesanya, I don’t want any excuses,” Johnson said during the UFC 327 weigh-in show. “Come get this belt. Come get this belt. Me and you, five minutes, three rounds. Anywhere. As a matter of fact, I’ll come to New Zealand. I don’t have a passport. Never mind. Come to Miami,” he added.
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For those who don’t know, Johnson was a celebrated wide receiver in the NFL who became a six-time Pro Bowler during his 11-season tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals. After an illustrious NFL career, the 48-year-old started training in martial arts, especially boxing. In June 2021, Johnson fought Brian Maxwell on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul in an exhibition bout and also hilariously called out Conor McGregor after losing the fight. Moreover, Chad Johnson has also trained with UFC star Jorge Masvidal and other boxers as well.
Even though the former NFL player has some background in martial arts training and also performed at a stellar event, the question remains: Can he actually fight against someone like Adesanya? To be fair, many athletes like Greg Hardy and Josh Hokit have successfully transitioned into the UFC and are now achieving great success. But it required years of training before they made that decision. In that case, Johnson is yet to take that path with full determination.
With that in mind, Johnson also understands that factor and believes that ‘The Last Stylebender’ would get the better of him, especially with his grappling. Still, the ex-NFL player believes his striking skills would be enough to trade at least some blows with the former UFC champion.
“I would really like the matchup with Adesanya, though,” Johnson added. “I’m serious. To be able to get the best out of me and what I can do, even though it’s not my sport. But I’m good enough to survive and be able to strike. Ground game, eh, shaky. Honestly, I probably couldn’t beat any of these individuals that do it for a living, but I’m crazy. I’ll get in there. I don’t care. I’ll get in there. Let’s go!”
Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco calls out Israel Adesanya for a fight
Ochocinco – “Adesanya me and you 5 minutes 3 rounds anywhere. I’m good enough to survive and be able to strike”
DC – “You know what’s kind of crazy right is he actually believes this” pic.twitter.com/S0PmqPN9QT
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) April 10, 2026
Now, even though Israel Adesanya is currently in the worst phase of his career, he would definitely be a favorite to win against Chad Johnson. But it’s not the first time the NFL wide receiver has called out another ex-UFC champion.
Johnson called out ex-UFC champ Max Holloway for a fight
Even before eyeing a possible debut against Israel Adesanya, Chad Johnson was interested in clashing with Max Holloway. After ‘Blessed’ pulled off the best knockout of his UFC career against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, the NFL star appreciated the former 145 lbs champ for his amazing finish. While doing so, Johnson also entertained the idea of sharing the cage with Holloway. What’s more interesting is that he even thought he could beat the Hawaiian superstar.
“What do you think would happen if Max Holloway had to fight me?” Chad Johnson asked footballer Shannon Sharpe in an interview. In response, Sharpe revealed that a former champ like ‘Blessed’ would dominate him in a cage fight, which drew another reaction from the former NFL star.
“I was state wrestling champ in ’82,” Johnson replied. “You know you’ve seen my hands go, I’ve got hands. So, at what point do you think Max Holloway would beat me if we were to get in the octagon? Round one, two, or three?”
Well, even with that response, Sharpe wasn’t convinced. However, after some time, Holloway saw Chad Johnson’s comments and decided to respond: “Lol, he has to be trolling. Ever in Hawaii @Ochocinco, let me know.”
That said, as we can see, Chad Johnson is really interested in fighting in the UFC. Will Dana White ever sign him?
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Ashvinkumar Nilkanth Patil