Israel Adesanya blasts fans for treating UFC like WWE, drops surprising prediction for Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva

Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya gave a hot take on the upcoming bout between Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva. On the main card of UFC 314 this weekend, 'Thug Nasty' will face the Fighting Nerds standout in a high-profile featherweight bout that has fans excited.

As of late, Mitchell has been facing a lot of heat for his controversial beliefs, ranging from his alt-right sentiments to shockingly admitting that he thinks Hitler is a "good guy". Because of this, many MMA fans are rooting for Silva as the classic "face" against the universally accepted "heel" in Mitchell.

To Adesanya, however, feelings don't matter when it comes to facts - and the fact of the matter is Bryce Mitchell has the experience, grit, and submission skills to put Silva away. Adesanya said:

"Look, this is the UFC. But the fans still act like it's the WWE. They pick who's the goody, who's the baddy. Who's the good guy, who's the heel...Ima go Bryce [Mitchell] coz of the experience. But, look, I will not be surprised if Jean [Silva] goes in there and just does work. Because Bryce, good striker, but sometimes, when his striking can't manage the distance properly, he starts to shoot from a distance that is going to get the most success."

Adesanya continued:

"And Jean, even from that little clip, I loved the way he manages his distance. He was able to just find it, yeah."

Check out Israel Adesanya's full comments on Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva below:

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When Israel Adesanya considered dipping his toes into WWE

Despite his firm belief that fans should separate their appreciation for the UFC and the WWE, Israel Adesanya admits that he's a serious fan of the latter. Just one look at his large-than-life personality and awe-inspiring fighting style tells you that 'The Last Stylebender' was made to be in a pro wrestling ring.

Considering that MMA fighters like Ken Shamrock, Matt Riddle, and Ronday Rousey have had successful runs in the WWE, it wouldn't be impossible for Israel Adesanya to do the same. In an interview with BT Sport back in 2021, the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter was asked if he'll ever get in the squared circle.

Adesanya said:

“I’ve never spoken to them [WWE] about it directly, but I speak to, a few, well, a couple of guys from the Attitude Era, my era. Never spoken about it. But yeah, growing up, that was before I even knew what the UFC was, that existed, that [WWE] was definitely a dream of mine; or a path to, I guess, being where I’m at right now in the public eye, being a WWE superstar. So, yeah, it definitely is a possibility.”

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (9:57):