Tag: Israel Adesanya

UFC champ Israel Adesanya savagely puts manager on blast for being a ‘clout trout’

Yikes.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is branching out into doing broadcast commentary. The UFC middleweight champion will serve as an analyst for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view on Nov. 28.

That seems like a nice way to gain more exposure and a cool opportunity for Adesanya, but the champ unexpectedly encountered a put-down of sorts from one of MMA’s most prominent managers, Abe Kawa of First Round Management.

Kawa represents UFC star Jorge Masvidal, who was on the cover of the latest EA UFC 4 video game alongside Adesanya, as well as Jon Jones, who’s been feuding with Adesanya all year. According to a screen grab shared by the UFC champ, Kawa left a comment on one of his Instagram posts highlighting that Masvidal actually turned down the opportunity to commentate for Tyson vs. Jones. Kawa accompanied his remark with a shrug emoji – the implication being that it was beneath Masvidal?

That seems to be how Adesanya took it. And in response, Adesanya, who’s represented by Paradigm Paradigm Sports, savagely put Kawa on blast by sharing screen grabs of past direct messages in which Kawa tried recruiting him (via Twitter):

A quick post and delete.
Glad I left him on seen.
Don’t be a clout trout.
🤡✨

The messages from Kawa to Adesanya read as follows:

January 15, 2016

“What’s up brotha, I rep guys like bones condit Pettis etc… Would love to talk to you when you get a chance”

July 7, 2018

“What’s good brotha… FYI I rep bones, woodley and dj, as well as a bunch of other top righters… you got “IT”

“Do you have a manager? If not I’d love to discuss the future with you…”

Adesanya added that Kawa’s “been in my DMs tho tryna fish for gold.”

via GIPHY

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Jon Jones: Israel Adesanya superfight ‘does nothing for me,’ focus is on Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones isn’t about to bend over backward to fight Israel Adesanya when he believes the bigger legacy bout is for the heavyweight title.

[autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] has made it very clear he’s not here to be a passenger on the [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] ride, and he won’t bend over backward to accommodate a superfight between them.

A matchup between Jones (25-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC), a former UFC light heavyweight champion, and reigning UFC middleweight champion Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has felt inevitable for more than a year. The two have gotten into countless Twitter wars and exchanged many words in interviews. Things have been deeply personal, but Adesanya has remained consistent in his stance that the matchup will happen July 2021 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and be the “biggest fight in UFC history.”

The bout felt like it’s inching closer to reality when UFC president Dana White announced plans to have Adesanya move up to 205 pounds to challenge Jan Blachowicz, who now holds the title Jones vacated in the summer. A victory over Blachowicz in March would put Adesanya right on track for his predicted showdown, but how does that work for Jones?

He says his focus remains on a move up to heavyweight, and it’s by no means guaranteed he’ll oblige Adesanya (via Twitter):

Yeah just how he envisioned it, the arena he wanted and everything. 😂 There’s not a man on this planet that tells me what to do. I march to the beat of my own drum.. there’s no red panty night for Izzy without me, I may just keep him broke

Jones wrote that he’s “done playing little games” with Adesanya and is paying mind to making his own history. Jones vacated the 205-pound title because of his desire to make a long-awaited move up to heavyweight and add a second title to his resume, likely against the winner of Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou expected to happen in March.

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Jones hasn’t fought since a narrow decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February. He hasn’t revealed when he’ll make his heavyweight debut, but it’s clearly still at the top of his list of priorities, and said that move means more to his career than waiting around for the Adesanya fight to materialize (via Twitter):

Outside of a gigantic payday, he does nothing for me. Anderson was the man to beat in that weight class, not him. The next biggest legacy move for me is Stipe and I want all the smoke

You’re joking right? I’ve been making millions since my early 20s, I don’t need a super fight with anyone. Fighting guys like Jan and Izzy does nothing for my legacy, winning the Heavyweight belt is the only thing that can bring me any higher than I already am #facts

Jones’ overarching point appeared to be that he’s grown tired of entertaining the Adesanya matchup and is determined to enhance his own legacy rather than give someone else that opportunity. Jones said he truly believes Adesanya has no intention of sharing the octagon with him and is merely throwing out false promises (via Twitter):

You guys can believe that shit if you want to. He was too afraid to fight me at light heavyweight, now you actually believe he’ll meet me to HW. Love how you guys eat that silly shit up, keep buying those wolf tickets

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Jan Blachowicz open to facing Israel Adesanya or Glover Teixeira in March 2021

Jan Blachowicz already has two potential opponents lined up, but says he won’t compete until the first quarter of 2021.

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] already has two potential opponents lined up, but he won’t compete until the first quarter of 2021.

One day after taking out Dominick Reyes at UFC 253, Blachowicz was offered middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], but with the newly-crowned UFC light heavyweight champion expecting a baby with his fiancee in December, Blachowicz wants to take some time off and spend it with his family before returning to the octagon early in 2021.

Blachowicz (27-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is also unsure what his training situation will be like in the coming months in Poland, with various countries in Europe facing second lockdowns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The other opponent waiting in the wings is [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] (32-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC), who stopped former title challenger Thiago Santos in the third round at UFC on ESPN+ 40 to claim his fifth straight win and press his claims for a second shot at the title.

Chatting to MMA Junkie, Blachowicz said he’s willing to face either fighter, but not until March 2021.

“I was a little bit surprised (to be offered Adesanya), but I already knew that I cannot accept,” he said. “I said, ‘OK, it’s no problem, I can fight against him, but not in December. I can fight against him in March, him or Glover.'”

He continued, “I like both of them. They’re both really good fighters, so it’s gonna be an honor for me to fight against Israel or Glover. We’ll see what the UFC gives me. I’m gonna be ready for everybody, so it doesn’t matter. We’ll see.”

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Blachowicz sees perks in fighting either man. In Teixeira, he sees a rightful No. 1 contender who, like Blachowicz, has managed to turn his career around after some previously inconsistent form.

But in Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), Blachowicz admits that there’s the lure of getting the opportunity to bounce the middleweight champion out of the ranks of the unbeaten.

“Both guys have something that I’d like to know,” Blachowicz said. “Glover is in my weight category, he’s in the same place that I was in before, so also he deserves a title shot, but it’s also good to fight against someone like Israel. To be the first one to beat him. That will also be a pleasure for me, so we’ll see.”

He continued, “Because he (Adesanya) will remember me for the rest of his life. When I beat him, he’s gonna have this 20-1, and I’ll always be the first one to beat him so it’s really nice to beat someone the first time in his life.”

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Jan Blachowicz open to facing Israel Adesanya or Glover Teixeira in March

UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz chats to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun and reveals he’s happy to face either middleweight champion Israel Adesanya or top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira for his first title defense.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz chats to MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun and reveals he’s happy to face either middleweight champion Israel Adesanya or top light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira for his first title defense.

‘Stay tuned’: UFC champ Israel Adesanya has big plans for 2021 and beyond

Undefeated Israel Adesanya has his sights set on becoming a UFC champ-champ and then a superfight with Jon Jones.

The time will come, some years from now, when UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] will want to start a family.

Adesanya, 31, told MMA Junkie Radio that he wants to have kids of his own someday – “to be the cool dad” who does things like take them to school and to activities and to the playground.

“I want to be a stay-at-home dad, if I’m being honest,” Adesanya said.

Surprised? Don’t be.

It’s important to Adesanya that starting a family waits until after his fighting career ends. He sees how difficult it is for his friends, coaches and teammates to leave their families for weeks on end to train and compete, and it only reinforces his feeling.

“Right now, I’m focused on fighting,” Adesanya said. “So I don’t have any distractions. … I’m focused on kicking ass and taking names.”

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Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has been good at that since before he joined the UFC but especially since his octagon debut in February 2018. His 20-fight overall winning streak is third longest among active UFC fighters behind Khabib Nurmagomedov (28) and Weili Zhang (21), and his nine-fight UFC winning streak is the longest active streak among 185-pound fighters.

Adesanya’s ascent to UFC stardom was rapid, culminating in October 2019 with the middleweight title after knocking out then-champion Robert Whittaker in front of more than 57,000 fans at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium. Since then, Adesanya has defended his title twice, most recently stopping Paulo Costa in September at UFC 253 to settle a longstanding feud.

With Adesanya’s list of middleweight contenders thin, the next stage of his career is set to begin with an attempt at becoming a UFC dual champion. Adesanya is expected to challenge light heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz early next year. And after that? Maybe a summer date with Jon Jones, whom Adesanya has been compared to and been feuding with for more than a year.

If Adesanya is successful in his move up to 205 pounds, he said not to expect him to remain there.

“(Middleweight is) my perfect fighting weight,” Adesanya said. “… It is fun and games in the way that I make it look easy, but it’s work. It’s a challenge. it’s what drives you. I like doing things that many people would run away from. People run away from a fight, while I run toward it.”

Israel Adesanya after defending his title at UFC 253.

In moving up to challenge Blachowicz, Adesanya is looking to add to his legacy by becoming the latest champ-champ. But there’s something else on the line: his perfect record.

Adesanya has lost before in both kickboxing and boxing. So the way he sees it, there’s no pressure at all to go undefeated in MMA.

“That’s just one of those things that people try and put on you,” Adesanya said. “I’ve had losses in my past that never really changed who I am, never changed the fact that I’m a great fighter. A lot of the greats have had losses. And every time I’ve had a loss, I always come back and knocked someone out. Being undefeated is just a title. It’s one of those titles that people try to hold up like it’s something. But you should see me in the gym. Some days I get my licks, so I know I can be beat.

“But, when it’s under the lights, and the pressure is on, on the biggest stage, and I’m having fun, I’m a hard man to beat. I’m just gonna ride this out the way I’ve been riding it so far. Stay tuned.”

‘Stay tuned’: UFC champ Israel Adesanya has big plans for 2021 and beyond.mov

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya discusses moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Jan Blachowicz and more in this interview with MMA Junkie Radio.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya discusses moving up to light heavyweight to challenge Jan Blachowicz and more in this interview with MMA Junkie Radio.

Israel Adesanya: ‘I’m already the A-side’ in potential Jon Jones superfight

UFC champ Israel Adesanya with a bold proclamation should a showdown with Jon Jones eventually materialize.

Up next for UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is an expected attempt at becoming a dual titleholder when he challenges Jan Blachowicz for the light heavyweight belt early next year. After that, however, remains to be seen.

But from the sound of it, if it was up to Adesanya, a 205-pound title win would be followed up by showdown with rival [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] next summer – preferably with fans in attendance at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

If  – or perhaps when – Adesanya fights Jones, “The Last Stylebender” is confident of whom the main attraction will be.

“I’m already the A-side,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m the guy that’s actually active. I’m the guy that’s actually fighting.”

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To that point, Adesanya (20-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) has fought nine times – all wins – inside the octagon since February 2018. During that same period, Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) has four fights, also all victories, including his two most recent narrow decisions against Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.

Jones, who vacated his light heavyweight title earlier this year, has said he intends to make a long-awaited move up to heavyweight, but he has no clear first booking with Daniel Cormier retired and Franis Ngannou expected to rematch champ Stipe Miocic.

Perhaps that instead leaves the door open for an Adesanya superfight – especially if he owns Jones’ former championship and especially if they can pack the Las Vegas Raiders’ shiny new stadium.

That would be the ideal scenario for Adesanya.

“I like fighting with no audience, but that fight in particular, I want there to be an audience,” Adesanya said. “But if there’s no audience for that fight, as well, I don’t mind. I just feel it’ll be glorious in a packed stadium with 75,000 people, you know. But, yeah, I don’t mind. I kind of like the last fight (vs. Paulo Costa), where you could here the crispness of the strikes, the impact of the leg kicks, the shots sounding like gun shots. Either way is good for me.”

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Dana White, Jan Blachowicz open door for Glover Teixeira title shot after UFC on ESPN+ 40

Dana White admits he might have to rethink Israel Adesanya’s title shot after Glover Teixeira’s win at UFC on ESPN+ 40.

Should [autotag]Glover Teixeira[/autotag] get the next UFC light heavyweight title shot against [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]? That’s the question coming out of his main event win at UFC on ESPN+ 40.

Teixeira (32-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) beat Thiago Santos (21-8 MMA, 13-7 UFC) in Saturday’s light heavyweight headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, netting a fourth-round TKO to extend his winning streak to five fights.

At 41, Teixeira is in the best form of his career. He made a passionate plea to be the next man to challenge reigning 205-pound titleholder [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], but the promotion announced just one week ago that middleweight champ [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is on deck as he pursues a second belt.

It’s possible Teixeira’s performance could serve as a game-changer, though. UFC president Dana White said after the event that Teixeira has forced him to rethink the situation.

“I was sitting listening to him give his interview – he’s not wrong,” White told Laura Sanko on the UFC on ESPN+ 40 post-fight show. “It’s like, ‘I deserve the shot, I’ve been here forever.’ He’s on a streak, he looked great tonight. What’s funny is, every time I count this guy and think that I don’t know if you got it in you, he proves me wrong. He looked incredible tonight.”

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Blachowicz weighed in on the situation, and he didn’t rule out the possibility of fighting Teixeira next. According to the Polish titleholder, he’s not able to fight before March due to the impending arrival of his first child early next year.

If for some reason the timelines don’t matchup, Blachowicz wrote on social media that he’d be willing to change course and fight the Brazilian (via Twitter):

Great fight and incredible run by @gloverteixeira. You totally deserve to fight for the title and get taste of the #LegendaryPolishPower.

If Adesanya can’t wait till March, let’s go 👊 #UFCVegas13

There’s seemingly no definitive plan set for Blachowicz’s next fight. That’s good news for Teixeira, and White reiterated he’s got some thinking to do.

“That’s something we need to figure out,” White said. “But I heard him and I agree with him and I’m taking him serious. So, yeah. I’m not going to doubt this guy any more.”

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