Israel Adesanya recently weighed in on his experience fighting in a stadium full of fans as compared to other UFC events. Adesanya is glad to rank amongst the privileged few who have had such an experience.
According to Adesanya, fighting Robert Whittaker at a packed Marvel Stadium is one of the most cherished moments of not only his fighting career but his entire life. 'The Last Stylebender' said during a recent UFC presser held in Sydney, Australia:
"It's unreal. It's nothing like you've ever felt before. I'm glad to be a part of a few privileged on this planet that were able to experience that. Yeah. I know it was in your hometown, I beat your boy. I'm sorry, not sorry. But for me, when I walked out there, it's all energy. I walked out there, did my dance, I was feeling confident, I was feeling badass and I knew I was poking somebody in enemy territory. But to go out there and showcase what I did, it's unreal. It's one of those moments, not just in my career, but in my life, I would never ever forget. And it's with me forever."
Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 attracted a UFC world-record crowd of 57,127 at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium. 'The Last Stylebender' dethroned Whittaker at the latter's home via second-round knockout.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Watch the full presser featuring Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski and Kai Kara-France below:
Robert Whittaker believes Jared Cannonier is a 'tricky fight' for Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya has successfully defended his middleweight title four times since winning it from Robert Whittaker back in 2019. 'The Last Stylebender' is now slated to meet Jared Cannonier for his fifth title defense at UFC 276 in July.
Whittaker believes 'The Killa Gorilla' might prove to be a tricky opponent for Adesanya. But 'Bobby Knuckles' sees the champion having his way through excellent use of range. However, Whittaker also believes Cannonier has the mettle to cause an upset if he brings in certain changes to his game. The former middleweight champion said in an interview with The Mac Life:
"I think it's a tricky fight... Cannonier can do it. But I think Israel's gonna put him through his paces. He's great at controlling the distance and the space and using his reach to his best advantage. So, Cannonier can definitely do it. But, he may have to come in differently than he has been in the last couple of fights. But, wait and see."
Watch Whittaker's interview below: