Israel Adesanya’s reign as the UFC middleweight champion ended at UFC 293 at the hands of Sean Strickland. Going into the fight, Adesanya was a firm favorite to win the bout. However, Strickland put on one of the most impressive individual performances of all time to secure the win. In a recent interview with Teddy Atlas, ‘The Last Style Bender’ revealed a crucial element of Strickland’s game, which he could not adjust to.
While speaking to Teddy Atlas, Adesanya shared his honest thoughts on his most recent loss. Adesanya stressed on the fact that Strickland’s ferocious jab made the 34-year-old bleed, which resulted in his confidence being dented. He said:
“Lost my last fight because I got to a point in the fight where it was the end of the round and I looked down and saw droplets of blood. And I was like damn he got me with that jab. His jab was different, it was like a hammerfist… cause he was in this stance right, the philly shell..”
‘The Last Style Bender’ further went on to add how he wanted to change his game plan, but was not allowed to do so by his coach. He said:
“And it was catching me cause off-beat timing… but I never lost hope, I went back to the corner and I was like we go this round. We must go this round… I wanted to go like if I die I die go out on your shield.”
Adesanya added that in the last round, he wanted to throw the game plan out of the window and go for a knockout. However, his coach convinced him to stick to the game plan and not take unnecessary risks. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for Adesanya, who now faces the daunting task of regaining his title.
While we were led to believe otherwise, this might happen sooner than we think, and the upcoming UFC 297 might have a significant influence on the matter.
UFC 297 to play a huge role in Israel Adesanya’s return?
Following his loss to Sean Strickland, Israel Adesanya stated that he would be out for a long period. However, since then, ‘The Last Style Bender’ has changed his stance on his return and said that he would return sooner than expected. UFC 297 will have a huge say in when Adesanya returns to action.
If Dricus Du Plessis wins the belt, many believe that ‘The Last Style Bender’ will return from his hiatus immediately to take on Du Plessis. The storyline, as well as the personal dislike, will serve as a major motivator for the former champion. In contrast, if Strickland retains his belt, Adesanya might not rush his return to the octagon.
