Sports have the power to transcend beyond one field and are often compared to other sports. Recently, Dan Hooker took to Twitter to compare Israel Adesanya, the new middleweight champion, to Max Verstappen, a Dutch two-time F1 champion. While Adesanya has been compared to Lebron James and Michael Jordan in the past, this is a new comparison that caught the attention of fans and experts alike.
Israel Adesanya gave a masterclass at UFC 287 Miami main event, winning against Alex Pereira in a convincing manner. The event also featured Jorge Masvidal, who announced his retirement after losing to Gilbert Burns in his hometown.
Credits: Twitter
It is not uncommon for sportsmen to be compared to others outside their own field. Adesanya’s comparison with Verstappen is a testament to the universal appeal of sports. Both athletes are at the top of their respective fields and have proven themselves to be exceptional performers.
Dan Hooker addresses Adesanya criticism with Max Verstappen reference
Dan Hooker, a UFC fighter, took a stand for his friend and teammate Israel Adesanya by responding to Max Verstappen celebrating with a tweet after winning the Grand Prix in Belgium in 2022. Hooker hit back at those who shot at Adesanya, praising Verstappen’s performances but also pointing out his flaws. The tweet garnered a lot of attention and was widely discussed among fans and experts alike.
He said, “I mean you’re winning and all but you’re playing it to safe. If you were really that good you would hit the wall a couple times or at least slow down to let someone else catch up.”
“As a fan it would just make it more exciting to watch.” He further added.
Meanwhile, Adesanya, who was criticized for playing it safe in his previous fights, silenced his critics with his latest victory. The middleweight champion proved that he is a force to be reckoned with and showed his exceptional striking skills in the match.
Back when Israel Adesanya hit back at critics
The new UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya recently hit back on his critics accusing him of not being more brutal in his fights. He did so by referencing Max Holloway’s prediction of UFC 276.
Adesanya said,
“He said, ‘I’ll be surprised if this goes more than three rounds,’ cause he was that confident in himself. He didn’t get the job done, but you’re not gonna kick a man while he’s down.”
Holloway predicted that he will win the UFC 276 fight against Alexander Volkanovski inside 3 rounds. However, despite his prediction, he lost the fight. Thus, the fight does not always goes the way the fighters predicted.
