Israel Adesanya details an emotional moment with Eugene Bareman after Jared Cannonier fight; explains how he processes emotions - "I express, feel it, and I let it go"

Israel Adesanya revisited the emotional moment he shared with his coach Eugene Bareman after beating Jared Cannonier. 'The Last Stylebender' defeated Cannonier via unanimous decision at UFC 276 in July.

Despite his dominant victory, 'Izzy' was criticized by many for the relatively uneventful matchup and for not finishing Cannonier. In the latest edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Israel Adesanya revealed that he cried backstage after his fight against 'The Killa Gorilla'. Adesanya stated:

"I don't hold on to things. I let myself feel them. People try to deny things and block them; if you fight your emotions, they'll get you later on. So, I feel it. I cried backstage. Me and Eugene [Bareman] hugged it out, and he [Bareman] just told me, 'Don't worry. You'll be fine.' And I was like, 'Just give me a bourbon. I'll be fine.' Yeah, so I express it, feel it, and I let it go."

When asked why he cried, Adesanya recalled having high expectations from himself for the Cannonier matchup that transpired during the UFC's International Fight Week, even going all out for his entrance.

Adesanya clarified that he wasn't as upset about the criticism levied at him but was more so disappointed that he didn't put on the spectacular performance he'd expected from himself. Moreover, he emphasized that crying is simply a normal human function and that we shouldn't shame it:

"Just emotional; it's a good way to release some emotions. What is it? Cortisol? Is it cortisol, or whatever, releases through tears as well. So, it relaxes you."

Watch Adesanya discuss the topic at 2:40:14 in the video below:

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Israel Adesanya foresees putting Alex Pereira to sleep at UFC 281

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to defend his title in a trilogy matchup against Alex Pereira at UFC 281 on November 12. While they've never faced each other in an MMA bout, they've clashed twice in the sport of kickboxing, which is where their rivalry originated. Pereira bested 'Izzy' via unanimous decision in 2016 and via third-round KO in 2017.

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Israel Adesanya asserted that he aims to knock Alex Pereira out cold in their upcoming fight at UFC 281. Issuing an eerie warning to his longtime rival, 'The Last Stylebender' said:

"I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up. I want to make sure I'm right in his line of sight so that when he wakes up he's looking at me and then looking at the ref and... I want to be the first person he sees when he wakes up... that's how I see this fight going."

Watch Adesanya's assessment below: