“Rome wasn’t built in a day” - Israel Adesanya hails Francis Ngannou for 'leading the charge' on fighter empowerment after UFC fallout

Israel Adesanya recently weighed in on Francis Ngannou's departure from the UFC and free agency and had plenty of praise for the former UFC heavyweight champion.

During his UFC 293 pre-fight media availability, 'Izzy' shared his thoughts on Ngannou's upcoming boxing debut against lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury next month. Adesanya mentioned that he is excited and eager to see his bout with 'The Gypsy King' and complimented him for taking a stand for fighter empowerment, which he believes will pay off in the long-term.

He said:

"I'm proud of him. He's leading the charge put it that way and again, Rome wasn't built in a day, trust. But he's leading the charge and I can't wait to see him make history...And it's a long shot from people what they say this and that...But this man fears nothing. If you listen to his story and what he's been through...He's fortified."

The reigning UFC middleweight champion also shared what his immediate reaction was after finding out that 'The Predator' vs. 'The Gypsy King' was official. Israel Adesanya mentioned that he was proud of Francis Ngannou for getting a lucrative boxing bout with Tyson Fury and noted that he intends to be in attendance, saying:

"When I saw it on Instagram, the first thing I did was WhatsApp him I was like, 'I'm gonna be there to witness history'...As soon as was mentioned that the fight was happening I text, I was like, 'We're going'."

It will be interesting to see the long-term impact that Francis Ngannou's PFL and boxing deals will have on other UFC stars when they negotiate their next deals.

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Israel Adesanya expresses interest in headlining UFC 300

UFC 300 is expected to be a massive milestone event for the promotion in 2024 and Israel Adesanya is already expressing interest in headlining.

During the aforementioned media availability, the reigning middleweight champion noted that he has been a longtime fan of the sport and is interested in headlining UFC 300. 'Izzy' noted that Alexander Volkanovski should be included and complimented him by mentioning that he would also be willing to compete in the co-main event if he was on the card, saying:

"I'm definitely gonna hit UFC 300, that's one that I'm gonna be a part of. And Alex Volkanovski as well, I feel should be a part of. I'll co-headline for Alex Volkanovski, like, that's my dog but yeah, if he doesn't fight then I'll headline it."