Israel Adesanya has responded to a hilarious video put forth by fellow UFC fighter Johnny Walker. Adesanya is the reigning UFC middleweight champion while Walker is a contender in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Fighters such as Adesanya and his archnemesis Alex Pereira are well-known for their striking prowess, having crossed over to MMA from kickboxing. On that note, 'Izzy' had previously posted striking-centric training footage of himself evading tennis balls to work on his reflexes.
Meanwhile, Pereira posted a parody video mocking Adesanya's reflex training.
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Taking to his official Instagram account, Walker has now posted a video featuring snippets from Adesanya and Pereira's aforementioned videos. Additionally, Walker added footage of himself inside a weight-cutting sauna tent, jestingly dodging tennis balls being thrown at him.
The KO artist attached a statement alongside the lighthearted video, suggesting that he's on another level compared to 'Izzy' and 'Poatan.' Furthermore, he appears to have mistakenly asserted that he's working on reflexology. Walker wrote:
"I'm in another level 😂 , I'm in a different level 😂 doing sauna and losing weight, dodging balls, working on reflexology"
Watch Walker's video below:
The term reflexology implies a kind of massage system used for treating illnesses, relieving tension, and helping with holistic well-being. It's believed that massaging certain reflex points on the head, hands, and feet helps improve blood circulation and health. Walker likely intended to indicate that he was working on his reflexes but erroneously used the term reflexology instead.
Adesanya, for his part, responded in the comments section with laughing emojis. Walker replied to 'Izzy's' comment with laughing emojis of his own and a peace/victory sign emoji.
What's next for Israel Adesanya and Johnny Walker?
UFC middleweight (185-pound) champion Israel Adesanya has fought at light heavyweight once in his MMA career, challenging then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz for the title in March 2021. Adesanya lost the fight via unanimous decision and hasn't fought at 205 pounds ever since.
'Izzy' is fresh off a second-round KO victory over Alex Pereira in April of this year. The fight witnessed him reclaim the UFC middleweight belt. Presently, Robert Whittaker is scheduled to fight Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 on July 8. Many foresee Adesanya defending his title against the Whittaker-Du Plessis winner at UFC 293 on September 10.
Meanwhile, the No. 5-ranked UFC light heavyweight Johnny Walker's most recent fight saw him defeat Anthony Smith via unanimous decision earlier this month. His next opponent and exact comeback date haven't been officially announced yet. Regardless, Walker is on a quest to become a two-weight UFC champion and try his hand at boxing as well.