Israel Adesanya has shown the true character of a champion, having accepted the defeat he sustained in Madison Square Garden at UFC281, against Alex Pereira graciously.
Adesanya in the aftermath of his loss decided to follow the pathway of one of the greatest combat sports fighters of all time, Muhammad Ali. Ali displayed the manner in which to handle a loss, following his defeat to Joe Frazier, in what was then dubbed as the ‘Fight of the Century’.
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Taking an excerpt from the boxing icon’s book, Adesanya decided to align a statement from the Avatar- The Last Airbender with a picture of Ali’s comment.
Taking to Instagram, ‘Izzy’ stated-
“The past can be a great teacher.” – Aang 🍃
Got this gift from the greatest of all time’s team. The compliments I got from them about dealing with this weekend filled me with pride. Thank you for this gift oh great one. I will always be inspired by your spirit, forever. 😚”
Israel Adesanya’s resonation with both Avatar and Ali has conspicuously guided him in easing through the heartbreak of losing his championship. A true exemplar of what a fighting champion looks like.
Israel Adesanya and his loss to familiar foe, Alex Pereira!
The ‘Last Stylebender’ was knocked out on his feet in his championship defense against ‘Poatan’. Adesanya, who was leading the ‘3-1’ on the scorecards going into the fifth rounds, was immobilized after a nerve in his leg gave in, due to a leg kick that was checked by Pereira.
Having sustained just his second martial arts loss in 25 fights, the Nigerian-Kiwi, has not been left with a sour taste in his mouth. In fact, he has recognized referee Marc Goddard’s stoppage, deeming it the right call, having consulted with his team.
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In this time of anguish, Adesanya has not displayed any resentment or bitterness to his counterpart. Rather he has acknowledged the sequence of events that unfolded and has instead opted to take it on the chin.
What’s next for Adesanya?
Talks of a rematch have made the rounds around the block, but only time will tell, if ‘The Last Stylebender’ indeed does get an immediate title shot. There should be no question about it though given his supremacy in the weight class.
However, provided he is not granted a rematch, which is a very unlikely scenario, expect the former UFC Middleweight champion to remain active. No doubt will Adesanya be looking to bounce back from this setback, and in spectacular fashion that too.
Perhaps, the loser of the integral Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker match up in February. It would most certainly make for a fascinating contest.
Also read: WATCH: New Champion Alex Pereira Vowed To ‘Kill’ Israel Adesanya During Their Fight at UFC 281
