Khamzat Chimaev and Israel Adesanya
Khamzat Chimaev comes out with a possible explanation for the lacklustre display in Israel Adesanya’s last few fights
UFC’s hot property, Khamzat Chimaev made an appearance on The MMA Hour, and linked up the possibility of a potential move to middleweight, to challenge Israel Adesanya’s reign. UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya made his fifth successful title defense at UFC 276. He outclassed and outpointed Jared Cannonier in a slightly underwhelming contest. Although the fight did not live up to everyone’s expectations, it was Izzy’s groundbreaking entrance that was the talk of the town.
The fight was predominantly a striking contest in the champion’s desired range. He stagnated Cannonier’s movements with stiff jabs. To Jared’s credit, he fought a smart fight too. Whenever Adesanya tried to launch phase 2 of his attacks after set-ups in phase 1, Cannonier would move out of trouble. In the end, Izzy’s leg kicks, body kicks, jabs, and overall accuracy was enough for him to win on the judge’s scorecards.
Ahead of UFC 276, Izzy had said that he’s channelling his dark side, particularly for this fight. Although he kept the curtains draped on his entrance, he surprised everyone when he made one of the best octagon walkouts ever. Fans salivated and expressed their appreciation for Adesanya’s star power and showmanship.
Khamzat Chimaev, who’s known for his dominant display inside the octagon and personality high on self-esteem, had made a bold prediction for a fancy matchup against middleweight king Israel Adesanya after ‘The Last Stylebender’ saw off Robert Whittaker in the rematch at UFC 271.
He said that Izzy has 0 chances against him, owing to Whittaker taking the Nigerian down, and taking his back. When asked about what he made of Adesanya’s performance at UFC 276, Chimaev said, “He’s doing his job. He makes his money. Now, he’s the champ. You don’t need to do the crazy things just to win… I don’t know what’s happening with him last time. He fights better before. Now, maybe he’s not that hungry. He’s driving crazy cars.”
He added, “He has a lot of money. And it makes some people change. When you’re hungry, you fight crazy like he did before. And now, I don’t know. He just make the points and win the fights. It’s boring.”
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