Chael Sonnen Predicts Israel Adesanya Will Find a Way to Get Fired Up Before UFC Saudi Arabia Fight

Ahead of his UFC Fight Night match against Nassourdine Imavov this weekend, Israel Adesanya has been in good spirits. He’s been hanging out with old rivals like Robert Whittaker and heaping praises on his opponents like Dricus du Plessis. While it is good to see, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen believes it is out of character for the former middleweight champion and asserts that Izzy will find a way to feel that adrenaline.

Speaking to Daniel Cormier, Sonnen said,

“I do believe Izzy is going to put himself into some kind of a corner because I have never seen him in such good spirits, and good spirits have never served the Stylebender well.”

Sonnen suggested that Adesanya thrives when there’s tension, whether it’s internal or external, fueling the focus and aggression that have defined his most spectacular performances. He pointed to Adesanya’s fight against Jared Cannonier as an example, calling it a lackluster performance that may have stemmed from Adesanya being in too positive a headspace.

He asserted that ‘good vibes’ haven’t always been the secret sauce for the Stylebender.

Sonnen might be on to something here. Adesanya put a lot of pressure on himself during the Alex Pereira feuds.

After he lost that first fight, Izzy made it a point to be nasty and far more aggressive like he had a point to prove. He made it personal and while it’s not the only thing that affected the fight, it certainly seemed to help.

To this day, he’s the only fighter in the UFC to have had a win over Pereira.

Now, with two consecutive losses behind him for the first time since his UFC debut, all eyes will be on how Adesanya approaches this Saudi Arabia fight. Will he manufacture some tension to fire himself up, or will he chart a new path to success with a more positive mindset?

Either way, if there is anything to worry about at all, ‘The Last Stylebender‘ isn’t showing it.

Adesanya confident in victory

Since 2018, every fight Izzy has taken up has been with the middleweight title in mind. As a matter of fact, every fight he has fought since 2019 has been a title fight. But that’s not what he wants anymore.

In an interview with Damon Martin, the former middleweight champion revealed a shift in his approach, saying he’s not chasing the belt but rather focusing on dominant performances.

At this point in his career, Izzy might be on a downward slope. But he is still the biggest name in the division and as such if he wins the next couple of fights, there’s a good chance he might find himself up there again.