Tag: Israel Adesanya

Real recognize real: Watch Israel Adesanya react to Conor McGregor’s finish of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246

Watch Israel Adesanya react to Conor McGregor’s 40-second finish of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] had a similar reaction to us all when [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] made his emphatic return.

UFC middleweight champion Adesanya gathered with his friends early Sunday afternoon in New Zealand to watch McGregor take on Donald Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246, with the Kiwi, who is managed by the same Paradigm Sport Management company that represents McGregor, rooting for “The Notorious” on the night.

Initially relaxed and reclined as the fight began, it took just 30 seconds before Adesanya was forced to sit up as McGregor starting delivering his shoulder shots en route to finishing the fight. One head kick and a few strikes later, and McGregor had finished the job in just 40 seconds.

“Let’s go, my G,” Adesanya said when McGregor’s name was announced as the winner. The rest of his friends, who included his teammate and UFC lightweight Brad Riddell, were left in silence.

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It appears they might have been on Team Cerrone, or just in shock at the swift finish as McGregor made a spectacular return after more than a year away from the cage. But then again, McGregor did score a 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo to claim the UFC featherweight crown at UFC 194.

But, real recognize real, as the undefeated Adesanya could very well become the promotion’s next superstar. In fact, he’s banking on it.

“(He) brought a lot of attention to our game, at a time when it needed it, and now I’m about to do the same.” Adesanya said after the fight.

Check out Adesanya’s reaction in the latest episode of “EMG Access,” which also features Adesanya’s preparation for his upcoming title defense vs. Yoel Romero at UFC 248.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Manager explains how Yoel Romero got UFC 248 title shot vs. Israel Adesanya off two losses

Yoel Romero becomes the first in UFC history to challenge for a title following consecutive losses when he faces Israel Adesanya at UFC 248.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] is set to become the first fighter in UFC history to challenge for a championship following consecutive losses when he goes for the middleweight belt against [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] at UFC 248.

Although there’s going to be layer of controversy attached any time a fighter goes into a title bout under the conditions Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) faces, the headlining bout of the March 7 pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, seems among the more justifiable.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) specifically asked the UFC to set up the booking, and the timing worked out because consensus No. 1 contender Paulo Costa is still recovering from bicep surgery.

Romero might be 1-3 in his past four fights and coming off back-to-back losses, but all those fights have come down to the wire and ended in competitive decisions. He could just as easily be 4-0 in that stretch, and his manager, Abraham Kawa of First Round Management, said he thinks Adesanya recognizes the reality of the situation.

“If you’re looking at it from Izzy’s eyes, and Izzy has been very forthcoming and very honest, he said, ‘That’s the boogeyman, that’s the top of the division, that’s the guy I want to fight,'” Kawa told MMA Junkie. “I give all the respect in the world to Izzy for saying that because I believe Izzy in his heart believes (Romero) beat Costa, he beat Rob (Whittaker) possibly once, maybe twice depending on how you look at it. So, he could’ve possibly been defending his title a few times now. So I like the fact he did that Izzy said, ‘That the guy I want to go after.’ Let’s do it.”

It’s not difficult to poke holes in the matchmaking between Romero and Adesanya. It strays away from norm of granting title fights to the most deserving or proven contender, but Kawa doesn’t think this particular instance is difficult to defend.

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“This is still entertainment, so this is a business where the most exciting fighters are always going to be put on the biggest platforms, to be able to fight for the biggest prizes,” Kawa said. “If you are not exciting, it’s kind of hard to put you in a position to grow and be there. Taking nothing away from Costa, he apparently has an injury to his bicep and whatnot. It’s unfortunate for him. But one person’s unfortunate situation is another person’s fortunate situation.

“In our case they have no one else at 185 who can actually do that. It wasn’t just an example of having nobody else. Not having anybody else there, it’s only one part of it. You could’ve had someone else jump Yoel. Someone that drops down from light heavyweight to drop down to 185 to get that shot.”

For Romero, the clash with Adesanya is a pivotal moment in his career. At 42, a victory would make “The Soldier of God” the second-oldest champion in UFC history behind Randy Couture, who held the heavyweight strap at 44.

This could be the last opportunity Romero gets to fight for a title in his career, but Kawa said his client is not looking at the end. He hasn’t seen a drop-off in Romero’s talent, and retirement won’t come into play until that happens.

“His answer to me has always been the same, over and over again: When God tells me to step away, I will step away,” Kawa said. “What he means by that is when God takes his abilities physically away from him, I think he’ll know it. He’ll know it before any of us even see it on tape, see it on camera, whatever it may be. Once that gets taken from him he will say, ‘I can’t do it anymore. It’s over.’ But as of right now there’s nothing that says he is even close to done. So get ready.”

To hear from Kawa on Romero, watch the video above, and for our full interview, watch the video below.

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Israel Adesanya defends middleweight title against Yoel Romero at UFC 248

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has been booked for his first title defense, and it goes down in less than two months.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] asked and they received.

Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will defend his UFC middleweight title against Romero (13-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the main event of UFC 248.

UFC 248 takes place March 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streams on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Rumblings of a matchup between Adesanya and Romero began all the way back on Oct. 29, when Adesanya tweeted out a screenshot of a text conversation between himself and coach Eugene Bareman. In the conversation, his coach suggested Romero be next. Adesanya agreed.

The tweet sparked weeks of respectful back-and-forth, with both men calling for a fight against one another. But why Romero? Adesanya explained his desire to fight the two-time title challenger in a November interview.

“No one asked to fight Yoel,” Adesanya said. “I said I want to fight the baddest (expletive) in there. So we called him out even though he’s on a two-fight losing streak. He’s lost three of his last four.

“For the stark, it’s not just not good for business. I’m a charitable guy and I think he’s a beast. Regardless of records. (Expletive) records. He’s a bad (expletive).”

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UFC 248 will mark Adesanya’s first UFC title defense. In early October, Adesanya traded in his interim title for an undisputed one when he knocked out then-champion Robert Whittaker in the second round of their UFC 243 headliner.

Prior to the victory, Adesanya defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a “Fight of the Year” candidate at UFC 236 in April. “The Last Style Bender” is undefeated in his UFC tenure, also holding wins over Brad Tavares and Derek Brunson among others.

As for Romero, the 42-year-old middleweight has lost his two most recent fights – and three out of his most recent four. With three losses in that stretch, two were close decisions dropped to Robert Whittaker. The third, and most recent, was a close decision loss to Paulo Costa at UFC 241 in August.

This week, during UFC 246 fight week in Las Vegas, there were rumblings undefeated Paulo Costa might get the next shot at the belt instead of Romero,  as it became apparent a fight was going to have to be made soon, with less than two months to go until UFC 248. But the announcement put those talks to rest once and for all.

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Israel Adesanya curious about Paulo Costa’s quick recovery from biceps injury

Something doesn’t feel right about this to the UFC middleweight champion.

UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is confused – or maybe just curious.

Adesanya remains focused on making his first title defense March 7 at UFC 248 in Las Vegas. The only question is whom his opponent will be.

Adesanya originally was set to face undefeated top contender [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag], who’s currently No. 2 (behind only Adesanya) in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings. Costa even sat cageside during Adesanya’s title victory over Robert Whittaker last October in Melbourne, Australia, leading to a brief exchange during “The Last Stylebender’s” celebration.

Shortly after, it was revealed that Costa had surgery to repair a torn biceps. When that news surfaced, Adesanya turned his attention to Yoel Romero, and a fight between them seemed certain for UFC 248. But with seven weeks until the event, no matchup involving Adesanya has been booked.

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That’s because, as UFC president Dana White revealed to MMA Junkie, Costa remains an option. Adesanya, seemingly having caught wind of this, responded Thursday in a tweet.

“I want to know something,” Adesanya said. “How do you get over a nine-month possible bicep injury in three months?” And then he laughed before the video cut off.

Adesanya has accused Costa of using performance-enhancing drugs before. The champ’s reaction in the video would seem to reinforce that belief, wondering how Costa could recover from his injury so quickly.

Last April, Costa received a six-month suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for receiving prohibited intravenous (IV) infusions. Costa always has denied using PEDs.

In August, Costa defeated Romero by unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Year” candidate at UFC 241

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Israel Adesanya on track for UFC 248, but Paulo Costa could replace Yoel Romero

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is expected to defend his title at UFC 248, but his opponent has yet to be determined.

LAS VEGAS – UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] is expected to defend his title at UFC 248, but his opponent has yet to be determined.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the promotion is still actively looking to book Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (13-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in the main event of the March 7 event at T-Mobile Arena, despite the organization’s hesitancy to make an official announcement.

“There’s no holdup on it all,” White told MMA Junkie following Wednesday’s UFC 246 news conference. “That’s the fight we’re trying to make. It would be those two and Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk.”

There is one wrinkle in the company’s plans, though. Undefeated contender [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who earned a title shot with an August win over Romero at UFC 241 but then revealed a bicep injury might keep him out of the planned booking, has now re-entered the picture.

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“The only question is, I don’t know if you’ve seen on social media, but if you look at Costa, he looks like he’s ready to go again, and he’s pushing hard saying, ‘I could take this fight,'” White said

If you look at him online, he looks great and everything else, but we want to hear it from a doctor. We want a doctor to tell us that this guy is going to be OK to fight sooner. Why rush it?

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2020 vamos com tudo

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@teamborracha_oficial

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With UFC 248 a little more than seven weeks away, company officials will certainly be looking to go on sale with tickets sooner rather than later, which means a decision will need to be made in the very near future. But with a blockbuster UFC 246 event set for this weekend, White didn’t seem to feel pressured when asked if there’s a deadline in place to make the call.

“We’re working on it,” White said.

Adesanya currently sits at No. 1 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, with Costa just behind at No. 2, and Romero checking in at No. 4

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MMA Junkie Radio #3016: Reaction to Mike Perry controversy, McGregor-Cerrone expectations

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” discuss the latest MMA news and notes, including Mike Perry’s use of the N-word.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,016 of the podcast, the gentlemen discuss the latest news and notes, including some unexpected controversy.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] finds himself at the center of controversy after calling actor Michael Jai White the N-word as part of their Twitter beef this week. Perry’s use of the racial slur (slang version) incited a reaction from fellow UFC fighter [autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag], who denounced this. What’s even going on here? Why does Perry have to go there in the first place?
  • A UFC 246 pre-fight news conference is happening. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] will come face to face. What impact will this have on the event and overall future for McGregor the rest of this year?
  • “The Korean Zombie” [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] simply will not stop pushing for a title shot against UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Could he actually get the fight?
  • MMA Junkie has handed out its awards for 2019, including Male Fighter of the Year ([autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]), Female Fighter of the Year ([autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]), Knockout of the Year ([autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]), Submission of the Year ([autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]), Fight of the Year ([autotag]Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag]), and more. The fellas react to the winners and share their personal selections.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

2020 vision: Bold predictions in MMA for the new year

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn looks into his crystal ball to make 10 bold predictions for 2020 in UFC, Bellator and PFL.

The past decade was a time of great evolution and change in MMA, much of which even the most diehard fight fans couldn’t have seen coming. What will the first year of the next decade bring? Here are 10 bold predictions as the 2020 schedule gets set to kick off.

Without further ado …

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Khabib Nurmagomedov retires 30-0

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has made no secret that he doesn’t intend to have an extended career. His body has gone through the ringer due to various injuries over the years.

Moreover, Nurmagomedov already has etched out an undeniable legacy. If he can add a few more layers to that, he honestly doesn’t have much reason to keep going. If Nurmagomedov can get through what many believe to be his biggest obstacle in Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April, then there really aren’t many true challenges left for “The Eagle.” Another win after that would bring his career record to 30-0, and if that fight is a massive one, like his long-desired Georges St-Pierre superfight – or perhaps a Conor McGregor rematch – he pretty much will have done it all.

The only reason for Nurmagomedov to stick around beyond that would be to reap the benefits of being a massive star (far bigger than now), and that money is hard to walk away from. Everyone around Nurmagomedov has long said financial security is of no concern to him, though. If that’s true, it elevates the chances of this happening.

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Four current UFC title reigns end prior to a successful defense

Of the UFC’s current crop of champions, the following have yet to register a successful title defense during their current reign: [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (heavyweight), [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (middleweight), [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (featherweight), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (bantamweight), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (women’s featherweight), and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (strawweight).

More than half of those title reigns will go down as a flash in the pan.

Jon Jones’ UFC title record gets broken

Maycee Barber and Edmen Shahbazyan.

For more than eight years, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ record for youngest champion in UFC history has gone largely unchallenged. Rose Namajunas had an opportunity to break his mark back in December 2014, but she fell short of winning the inaugural strawweight title.

2020, however, is the year Jones will be bumped from the history books. 21-year-old [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (women’s flyweight or strawweight), 22-year-old [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] (middleweight) and 22-year-old [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (bantamweight) are all on the rise, and have already secured ranked positions in their respective weight classes.

They all have challenging paths, but one will claim UFC gold in the next 12 months.

A.J. McKee becomes champion and Bellator’s biggest star

A.J. McKee at Bellator 236. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator has received criticism for the way its slow-played many of its prospects, but going into 2020, it’s difficult to look at [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and argue Scott Coker mishandled the development of a young man who will soon be the face of the organization.

At just 24, McKee already holds a plethora of Bellator records. He’s validated himself in a big way over his past few fights, advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing Bellator featherweight grand prix. In order to win that tournament (and the featherweight belt), he’s going to have to go through some real tough competition, but if he comes out the other end on top – watch out.

McKee has spent his entire career with Bellator. His fighting style is tremendously entertaining to watch, and he has personality for days. If adds a belt to all that, there’s no reason Bellator shouldn’t push him to the moon.

UFC disbands at least one weight class

The UFC flyweight division and women’s featherweight division have been on shaky ground essentially since their inceptions, and 2020 could be the year one – or both of them – finally go.

Yes, Henry Cejudo “saved” the flyweight division, and there is a vacant title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo lined up for Feb. 29, but what comes next? As fun as the weight class can be, there’s just not a lot of money-making fights at 125 pounds.

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In comparison to the women’s featherweight division, though, flyweight is a thriving wonderland. Champion Amanda Nunes hasn’t defended her belt since winning it in December 2018, and although the promotion has signed a few new fighters to the weight class, there’s still not much going on. Nunes really wants to defend that 145 title for her legacy, but once that happens, the UFC could finally decide to pull the plug.

(Next page: PFL’s future, UFC vs. Bellator, and more)

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MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Male Fighter of the Year’: Israel Adesanya continues mind-blowing run

Israel Adesanya’s rise to the top of the UFC’s middleweight division has been nothing short of spectacular.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag]’s rise to the top of the UFC’s middleweight division has been nothing short of spectacular, and it’s even more impressive when you consider he’s done it in less than two years on the roster.

Impressive enough in his first 12 months in the big show to earn MMA Junkie’s 2018 “Newcomer of the Year,” Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) followed up with a calendar’s worth of excellence that sees him now take home 2019’s “Male Fighter of the Year.”

The Nigerian-born New Zealander opened his 2019 campaign by defeating a legend in Anderson Silva, a moment “The Last Stylebender” admitted was especially mind-blowing for him as an admitted fan of “The Spider.” While Silva is certainly on the tail end of his legendary career, the pairing of flashy styles made for an entertaining affair. Adesanya treated fans to a moment of bravado that will likely last as an iconic image of his career, placing his left arm behind his back and channeling Japanese anime character Rock Lee while becoming the first man to out-theatricalize Silva.

UFC 234: Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva

The February 2019 bout, of course, was given extra significance because it was elevated to headlining status at UFC 234 in Australia when then-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker was forced to withdraw from the card on the day of the event and rushed into emergency surgery. The added spotlight didn’t faze Adesanya in the slightest. If anything, it was simply an opportunity to see how bright he shines in the spotlight.

Just two months later, Adesanya was back in action in a battles for the ages. With an interim UFC belt on the line, Adesanya battled for 25 minutes with a durable and dangerous Kelvin Gastelum in a bout that pushed both men to their absolute limit and was named MMA Junkie’s “2019 Fight of the Year.”

Adesanya showed another aspect of his game in the contest – his heart – visibly mouthing the words, “I’m ready to die” before the start of pivotal fifth round. He then dazzled in the final frame, nearly finishing Gastelum but settling for a hard-fought decision win of a truly legendary battle for the ages.

UFC 236: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum

His final performance of the year secured his position as the best of 2019. Returning to Australia to headline UFC 243 in front of more than 57,000 people, Adesanya was flawless. He danced his way into the cage, dropping jaws with a choreographed routine to make his way into the octagon. He then systematically picked apart Whittaker in a brilliant performance, scoring a second-round knockout and unifying the UFC middleweight titles.

Three fights, three wins, three fight-night bonus checks, two title belts.

Fighters such as Jorge Masvidal and Henry Cejudo had fantastic years, as well, and were certainly in the discussion for this honor. But the quality of Adesanya’s opposition and the way in which he handled them made “The Last Stylebender” the clear choice for MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Fighter of the Year.”

In an era where entertainment is a massive part of stardom in the sport, Adesanya brings a fan-friendly set of skills to the cage, but his quick wit on the mic and even in the social media world are all checks in his favor. Adesanya is the complete package who continues to improve each and every time. He appears willing to take on all challengers, as he’s proven with his callouts of middleweight juggernauts Paulo Costa and Yoel Romero. We look forward to seeing what Adesanya can accomplish in 2020, as well, because as good as he is, the undefeated champion still seems like a man on the rise.

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MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Gym of the Year’: City Kickboxing

City Kickboxing, the home of UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, is MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Gym of the Year.”

What a year it was for City Kickboxing.

Led by head coach Eugene Bareman, the Auckland, New Zealand-based gym won 90 percent (nine of 10) of its bouts inside the octagon in 2019. Among the victories were two UFC title-earning performances by middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] and featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag].

Other members of City Kickboxing include UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker, UFC flyweight Kai-Kara France, UFC featherweight Shane Young, and UFC lightweight Brad Riddell, among others.

The gym’s impressive resume and rising success makes City Kickboxing MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Gym of the Year.”

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Bareman’s efforts aren’t solo, however. He’s joined by a phenomenal supporting staff that includes Tristam Apikotoa, Doug Viney, Steve Fowler, Ivan Walker, Chanel Niumata, Joe Lopez, Cliff Moni Sauni, Mike Angove, Adam Johnson, Andrei Paulet, Frank Hickman, and Asasio Heimuli.

The City Kickboxing staff doesn’t seem like a unit seeking the spotlight, but they have found it. Fame is just a symptom of their main driving-factor: success. They carry a ton of momentum heading into what could be a massive 2020.

Bareman was also named MMA Junkie’s 2019 “Coach of the Year.”

“Gym of the Year” Honorable Mentions

Fortis MMA

Location: Dallas, Texas

Head Coach: Sayif Saud

Other Coaches: Loronz Marion, Josh Bagalay, Darius Yancy,

Key Fighters: Geoff Neal, Ryan Spann, Miles Johns, Uriah Hall, Diego Ferreira, Alex Morono, Alonzo Menifield, Kennedy Nzechukwu, Macy Chiasson, Steven Peterson

Elevation Fight Team

Location: Denver

Head Coach: Elliot Marshall

Other Coaches: Cody Donovan, Christian Allen, Vinnie Lopez, Dave Zabriskie, Sean Madden, Peter Straub, Vellore, Caballero

Key Fighters: Justin Gaethje, Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Cory Sandhagen, Neil Magny Austin Hubbard, Drew Dober, Darko Stosic, Shana Dobson

Pitbull Brothers, Fight Ready MMA & Fitness*

Location: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte (Pitbull Brothers) / Scottsdale, Ariz. (Fight Ready MMA)

Coaches: Eric Albarracin (both), Eddie Cha (FR), Santino DeFranco (FR), Everton Lopes (PB), Mano Santana (PB), Thiago Tourao (PB), Valdines Silva (PB), Francisco Freitas (PB)

* The two gyms are separate, friendly entities. But due to a shared coach and shared champion, they have been listed together for the sake of this list.

Key Fighters: Henry Cejudo, Patricio Freire, Patricky Freire, Paulo Costa, Chan Sung Jung, Leandro Higo, Tracy Cortez, Hunter Azure, Frankie Saenz, Henry Corrales, Bobby Moffett, Jordan Johnson, Jonathan Pearce

American Top Team

Location: Coconut Creek, Fla.

Head Coach: Conan Silveira

Other Coaches: Mike Brown, Din Thomas, Steve Mocco, Mohammad Lawal, Thiago Alves, Mikey Rod, Dyah Ali Davis, Steve Bruno, Anderson Franca, Luciano Dos Santos, Vitelmo Katel Kubis, Marcos DaMatta, Billy Padden, Phil Daru, Everton Bittar Oliveira

Key Fighters: Amanda Nunes, Jorge Masvidal, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Junior Dos Santos, Colby Covington, Tyron Woodley, Douglas Lima, Yoel Romero, Dustin Poirier, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kayla Harrison, Marlon Moraes, Kyoji Horiguchi, Natan Schulte, Thiago Santos, Edson Barboza, Pedro Munhoz, Anthony Rocco Martin, Alexey Oleynik, Andrei Arlovski, John Lineker, Ilir Latifi, Nina Ansaroff, Gillian Robertson, Renato Moicano, Greg Hardy, Antonio Carlos Junior, Valerie Loureda, and many, many more.

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Israel Adesanya to Jon Jones: ‘People are going to remember you because you’re a drug cheat’

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya doesn’t think people will remember light heavyweight champ Jon Jones for the right reasons.

[autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] says people will remember [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], but not necessarily for the reasons the UFC light heavyweight champion might hope.

The two have been going back and forth for a while now, and their beef keeps on brewing. UFC middleweight champion Adesanya (18-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) had a memorable year, which he kick-started by defeating his idol, former UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva, in a passing-of-the-torch moment.

He then captured the interim middle title in a “Fight of the Year” performance over Kelvin Gastelum. Finally, Adesanya rounded off the year by unifying the titles in a near-flawless performance at UFC 243, taking out Robert Whittaker in Round 2.

On that same night, Adesanya also had a memorable walkout, showing off his dance moves in a choreographed routine that UFC light heavyweight champ Jones used as an opportunity to take another dig at him.

“That’s another thing Jon Jones said, mother(expletive) Jones. He’s like, ‘Well, when I’m done, I’m glad people can remember my accolades rather than my walkout,'” Adesanya told ESPN. “It’s like, shut the (expletive) up. People are going to remember you because you’re a drug cheat. You’re a steroid cheat. That’s what they’re gonna remember. All the (expletive) you’ve done after (beating Mauricio Rua in 2011), no one really cares anymore because they know you cheated. You popped in the same month as your brother in 2016. That’s all they’re gonna remember. My walkouts are gonna be even greater than his whole career.”

Both Jones and Adesanya entertained a potential fight down the line, but Adesanya has previously mentioned on numerous occasions he intends on defending his 185-pound strap.

“I’m only just getting started,” Adesanya said. “I’m nearly two years in the UFC. … Imagine what I’m gonna do in the next five, six, seven years. I’m only two years in. He’s already a boomer. He’s old. He’s washed (up). So yeah, walkouts to knockouts. You’re welcome.

“I could say whatever I want. It’s all words. Eventually, if we’ll see each other, we’ll see each other. I still have never seen me and him in the same room together. I wonder why. But eventually we’ll see each other at some point, and he’s gonna have to see me like everyone else does.

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