I. Adesanya (photo) retains middleweight belt in UFC 271. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @ufc_brasil
Considered one of the main names in Ultimate today, Israel adesanya defended, for the fourth time, the middleweight belt (up to 83,9kg.) against Robert whittaker. The Nigerian, however, received criticism for his passivity in the rematch decided on points, in a fight valid for the UFC 271 last Saturday (12).
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In an interview with 'The MMA Hour', Adesanya was asked about the subject and explained that, as time passes, his game becomes even more studied and makes his opponents enter the Octagon more cautious with their style of play. He even cited performances by Anderson Silva in the past to argue the theory.
“I'm starting to fall into this – it's not a trap, this issue. I realize that (Anderson) Silva had it too. At UFC 97, he fought Thales leites and defeated him, but people were like, 'Oh, that was a boring fight.' Thales didn't develop his game because he was afraid to get involved (in the game). We thought Robert (Whittaker) was going to press, but he was just moving away,” Adesanya said.
The champion, however, emphasizes that he had fun in the fight, as he understands that Whittaker represented a real danger. He even compared it to Marvin vettori to say that he wasn't bored during the match.
“I had fun, I was present from the first round to the last. My last fight before that (against Marvin vettori), I was not. I got bored, because I thought, 'This guy's not a threat to me. He poses no threat,” he concluded.
Israel also maintained its unbeaten record in the middleweight division (up to 83,9kg.). So far, there have been 22 triumphs and no setbacks. In his career, the champion was defeated only by Jan Blachowicz, in an attempt to win the light heavyweight belt (up to 93kg.).
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