"It would be nice for him to train with Alex Pereira" - Fans react to Francis Ngannou showing Israel Adesanya respect after tough TKO defeat

Fans reacted to Francis Ngannou showing support for Israel Adesanya after his third consecutive loss.

At UFC Saudi Arabia, Adesanya looked to bounce back following consecutive world title losses against Sean Strickland and Dricus du Plessis. The former middleweight champion was tasked with a matchup against No.5-ranked Nassourdine Imavov.

Adesanya looked sharp in the first round with his striking and takedown defense. Unfortunately for 'The Last Stylebender,' Imavov landed a devastating right hand in the second round before securing a TKO finish moments later.

Many fans and fighters voiced their support for Adesanya on social media, including former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. 'The Predator' posted a photo of Adesanya on X with several positive emojis.

Check out Francis Ngannou's post below:

Here are the reactions to the post:

"It would be nice for him to train with Alex Pereira"

"A champion forever"

"Izzy will always be a champion"

"Was really rooting for him. He'll be back"

Comments on X

The disappointing chapter of Israel Adesanya's fighting career started with a title-losing unanimous decision defeat against Sean Strickland in September 2023.

Eleven months later, Adesanya returned to potentially regain the UFC middleweight title against Dricus du Plessis. Adesanya seemed to be on track to a win before Du Plessis flipped the script with a fourth-round submission via rear-naked choke.

Following his loss against Nassourdine Imavov, Adesanya revealed his plans to take time off before deciding what's next.

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Francis Ngannou congratulates Nassourdine Imavov for win against Israel Adesanya

Francis Ngannou was once part of a trio called 'The Three Kings' alongside Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman, with all three being UFC champions in the past. The friendship between the three legendary fighters has carried on for years.

Shortly after UFC Saudi Arabia, Ngannou posted a throwback picture with Adesanya and Usman. He added the below caption to congratulate Nassourdine Imavov and support Adesanya:

"Unforgiving sport. Champ one day, champ forever. Israel Adesanya, we love you, man and will always stand by your side. Congrats to Nassourdine Imavov for his amazing performance."

Nassourdine Imavov's latest performance extended his UFC record to 8-2 (one no-contest), including an ongoing four-fight winning streak (Roman Dolidze, Jared Cannonier, Brendan Allen, and Israel Adesanya).

The Frenchman took a significant step closer to securing a middleweight title shot by taking out Adesanya in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event.