The UFC 293 main event result came as a shock to the majority of the MMA community as the #5 ranked middleweight Sean ‘Tarzan’ Strickland beat a lackluster Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight champion. Although the Kiwi fighter was competing on his home turf with the odds in his favor, he still couldn’t secure a victory. Moreover, Izzy’s loss meant that people who chose to place a safe bet on him also lost their money, which includes the Canadian rapper Drake’s $500,000 bet. Now, the YouTuber turned boxer, Jake Paul revealed that he had offered the former UFC middleweight champion an opportunity to earn $500,000, which he also couldn’t grab.
‘The Problem Child’ has now made a name for himself in the combat sports realm and gained notoriety for his challenges. He threw one such big money challenge at Adesanya, believing in him. However, the result of the fight was totally unexpected and brought bad news for both Drake and ‘The Last Stylebender‘.
Israel Adesanya failed Drake’s $500,000 bet and lost a $500,000 opportunity from Jake Paul
After the fight, Jake Paul’s new betting company revealed that the younger Paul brother had asked Adesanya to perform his signature move in the octagon. They posted a video on Instagram showing how Paul offered him $500 thousand to land a spinning back fist on ‘Tarzan’. Paul said:
“If he [Israel Adesanya] spinning back fists him [Sean Strickland], then I give him $500k.“
Adesanya couldn’t implement his fighting strategy or land a spinning back fist in the fight. Not only did it mean that he couldn’t win a $500,000 bet, but it also meant that Drake lost his $500,000 bet which he placed on ‘Izzy’.
Whilst he has lost previously in his career, they were far better performances compared to the recent loss. Despite this, fans are always excited to watch the Kiwi fighter back in the octagon because, time after time, he has proved that he can bounce back from defeats. The UFC president Dana White also shares the same sentiment as evidenced by his statement about the rematch.
Dana White signals at Adesanya vs. Strickland rematch
Back in April, at UFC 287, Adesanya staged a historic comeback against his fierce rival Alex Pereira. ‘Poatan’ stopped Izzy via a KO in their first UFC match at UFC 281. However, Adesanya managed to defeat him in the rematch in November 2022. Now, after this loss, the Kiwi is sure to receive a rematch and fans will expect a comeback.
‘The Last Stylebender’ was absent at the UFC 293 post-fight press conference. However, Dana White did attend the press conference and shared his opinion about the immediate rematch for the former UFC middleweight champion. According to a report from MMA Mania, he said:
“I think you do the rematch, absolutely. The rematch is interesting. That could be the thing, too.“
The new champion Strickland has also maintained a stance that he will comply with whichever fight proposal UFC offers him. Thus, since the UFC head honcho sees the potential in a rematch, the fans could see Adesanya fighting for the middleweight title once again in his next fight.
