UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was subjected to plenty of fan criticism and booing during his five-round shutout of Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC 276. Adesanya appeared to be playing it safe throughout his title defense, acknowledging that he had an “off night” at the post-fight press conference while reminding the audience that he still delivered the goods.
“And still, I still f***** him up. It was in the fight, maybe when I couldn’t find my power shots, my kicks. He was adjusting well. It wasn’t just me versus him. It was him versus my team.”
Adesanya Admits to UFC 276 “Off Night”, Slams “Drunk” Critics
As for the fans who booed his performance, which saw Adesanya controlling distance and winning exchanges without taking many risks, he simply replied that they’re unimportant. And drunk.
“F*** them. They’ve been here since 3 p.m., they’re all drunk, they don’t know what real fighting is. I’ve said this, the greats, they all get to this point.”
He went on to describe being a fight fan, seeing the likes of GSP and Anderson Silva dominating the division, and facing similar criticism. Perhaps Israel Adesanya is simply too good.
“GSP, people would boo him, and I’m like, ‘What the f*** are you guys watching? You dumb f****. [Muhammad] Ali, Floyd Mayweather, same thing. You get to this point where, like, you’re so great, people just want to see you fall. They just want to see you fall, no matter what. If it’s not like a show-out, spectacular performance, then it’s like, ah, he’s not even that good.
But trust, Jared knows I’m a good fighter. He knows I’m a great fighter, and I gave him the same credit as well.”
Of course, the looming specter of Alex Pereira came up. Pereira handed Adesanya two consecutive losses, including a brutal knockout, at the tail end of his career as a kickboxer. Pereira starched Sean Strickland in only the first round of their main card bout, and Israel Adesanya is very much looking forward to a rematch with his old foe under MMA rules.
“That’s the next fight. I saw his fight. It was a good fight, but Sean Strickland should have focused on his job, like I told him to. How soon [will I fight him], we’ll find out.
I’m facing a guy who’s beat me in kickboxing, and now, he’s still chasing me, because he knows I‘m the king, and he wants to try and get that away from me. You guys see what happens when my back’s against the wall.”
What do you think of Israel Adesanya’s performance at UFC 276? Let us know in the comments.
