Israel Adesanya wanted to pull the trigger in his last fight.
The journey to UFC 293 in September felt eerily similar to the looming UFC 300 this coming April. Sure, there’s a bigger time gap between now and the “super show,” but the MMA world was waiting longer than expected, wondering, “What the hell are they going to do with UFC 293’s main event?”
It always had to be Adesanya with the event announced for Sydney, Australia with the then-middleweight champion’s return guaranteed ... without an opponent, and before Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis fought at UFC 290 in July. Du Plessis won, was injured, and in came Sean Strickland almost seemingly out of the blue. “Tarzan” came up big in what was his first UFC title fight, though, and performed a defensive masterclass on Adesanya to win a unanimous decision and claim the 185-pound throne. In hindsight, “The Last Stylebender” wishes he upped his aggression at the behest of his longtime coach Eugene Bareman.
“I never lost hope,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I went back to the corner, round three or round four, whatever it was, I was like, ‘Right, we go this round, we must go this round.’ Even like, when I asked Eugene in the fifth round, I said ‘Should I just go?’ and he’s like, ‘No, let’s be tactical.’ I wanted to kind of be like, ‘F*** it, let’s go.’ Like, if I die, I die, like, go out on your shield. Kill or be killed.
”He was like, ‘Let’s be tactical.’ It got to the point where I realized this fight’s getting away from me. It got to a point where I felt like, ‘Damn. It’s too far gone.’ Like when someone’s in a race in the 100 meters, he was too far ahead and I just couldn’t catch up. I was trying my best to try and finish him in the early rounds. Regardless, I never lost hope, that’s the thing.”
Despite Adesanya’s sense of urgency, he only won the second round on all three judges’ scorecards against Strickland. Aside from that, however, it was the Strickland show as the American won all other rounds.
Strickland’s first title defense as the champion is nearly upon us with his matchup against Di Plessis set to take place at UFC 297 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada next Saturday. Adesanya, on the other hand, remains patient about his return after he was dealt losses in two of his last three fights (24-3 overall), two of which came opposite his longtime rival Alex Pereira.
“I’m taking my time,” Adesanya said. “I have patience. Patience and the long run. Look at the Pereira fight. I never looked for — okay, after the second [kickboxing] fight in Brazil, he knocked me out. I was like, ‘Cool. That’s that.’ Then he chased me to UFC. It’s part of the story. Get to Madison Square Garden, beats me in almost the exact same fashion. I’m like, ‘Damn. The last round again.’ And I wanted the rematch because I knew in my heart I could beat him.
“So, when I got to that point in Miami [for UFC 287], I just knew this is it. I have to beat this guy. And again, that took seven years, I think, to get to that point. Patience.”
Drama. Ian Machado Garry responds to Sean Strickland, details UFC PI run-in
Boxing. Francis Ngannou on fighting Anthony Joshua: ‘I’ve heard that he doesn’t have a chin. I’m going to find out’
History. Demetrious Johnson responds to rumors Joe Rogan helped facilitate trade from UFC to ONE Championship
Prediction. Eddie Hearn expects Anthony Joshua to pick Francis Ngannou apart ‘and knock him out’
Immortal. Matt Brown teases potential return at UFC 300: ‘I’m there to fight and try to smash a f****** elbow through somebody’s forehead’
Odds. Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira open as surprising underdogs in new UFC fights
The MMA Hour.
Top Finishes: Slams.
Free fight.
Aoki > Folayang.
Fear.
The War Room: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2.
Reaction. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Jed Meshew discuss Dana White’s announcements of Dustin Poirier’s return, new UFC 300 clash.
Mr. Gibson.
When Worlds Collide. pic.twitter.com/TvCoNfHgxE
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) January 8, 2024
Finally.
Fight week
— マネル・ケイプ Manel Kape (@ManelKape) January 8, 2024
He must be stopped.
Aljo’s war on guard pullers continues pic.twitter.com/x5bdF4XiCz
— BJJotter (@JiujitsuOtter) January 8, 2024
Icebound.
Might be the best boxing fight to happen today pic.twitter.com/qJfl88gRs7
— Ez RAW Brunch Boxing (@EzRawBoxing) January 7, 2024
Rebook?
Josh! You beat the guy coming off the couch, working with the cows in the farm. Accept UFC’s offer for UFC 300, I already said YES!
— GIGACHAD (@giga_chikadze) January 8, 2024
I’ll do to you what you did to him! @JoshEmmettUFC @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby @AliAbdelaziz00
Wow! Bryce must have had strong head, cause after one punch KO winner Josh has serious injury!
— GIGACHAD (@giga_chikadze) January 9, 2024
Give me Max than! @ufc
Confirmed.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 8, 2024
Update.
Jon Jones had another surgery. pic.twitter.com/0gI5SmC08A
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 8, 2024
This is all getting annoying.
2012 and Ronda Rousey was having contracts written with my name in it.
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) January 8, 2024
2024 and @KaylaH having contracts written with my name in it.
An Era of dominance the sport might never see again. https://t.co/kcXmeakjVD
“I’m not going to wait,”— @KaylaH
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) January 8, 2024
️ the time is now. #CyborgHarrison @PFLMMA @PeteMurrayPFL https://t.co/Sk9PPlCx6E
I do not have that many more fights in me. I want the @KaylaH fight that you say you can deliver.
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) January 9, 2024
Punk...
Don’t call it a comeback … pic.twitter.com/X2tp9WKgdh
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) January 9, 2024
Relationships are tough.
Being single is way easier pic.twitter.com/o17cuHFE2v
— Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (@MerabDvalishvil) January 8, 2024
Sigh.
Max Holloway just said on stream that he's not fighting at UFC 300 and was never asked to. His tone seemed disappointed
— ™ (@cuttycreek) January 8, 2024
Just fight him then.
Only four recognizable opponents, and already the king of England, must be nice. There will be legendary tales told about you and your infamous call outs.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 9, 2024
I mean, it doesn’t really work like that. I was a champion when I was 23 years old, you can’t show up at age 30 pretending like you’ve been chasing me your whole life. I have no clue who 90% of his résumé is, meanwhile, I’ve been highlighting UFC events my entire career. https://t.co/aJdJT8UpGm
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 9, 2024
It’s a wild world we live in! People can be so quick to try to replace you, throw you away, discredit your work. That’s the best thing about them stats or just being able to see the fruits of your labor. Be an absolute savage at what you do, at whatever capacity that may be. Let…
— BONY (@JonnyBones) January 9, 2024
Jon you’re letting your ego run wild here mate. I’m not downplaying you’re résumé, it’s incredible. Far superior to mine. You are known as the best fighter ever, and that’s EXACTLY why I want to beat you. Surely you can understand that? https://t.co/jCo4Obz9pY
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) January 9, 2024
Jon Jones: “you need to fight people who build your legacy”
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) January 9, 2024
Me: “great idea. Absolutely”
UFC: “do you wanna fight Tom?”
Stipe: “no”
Jon: “no”
Me: “
Super, indeed.
What you think https://t.co/dHbRfJlwKr pic.twitter.com/oBcDMDFLng
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) January 9, 2024
Toshiomi Kazama (10-4) vs. Charalampos Grigoriou (8-3); UFC Vegas 87, March 16
Christian Rodriguez (10-1) vs. Isaac Dulgarian (6-0); UFC Vegas 87, March 16
Dominick Reyes (12-4) vs. Carlos Ulberg (10-1); UFC Atlantic City, March 30
I don’t think it would have been the worst idea from Adesanya, especially at the end of the fight. Not sure it would have made a difference, but I’ll always advocate for going for broke when you’re clearly down on the cards.
Thanks for reading!
If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
