Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo discussed Israel Adesanya’s future in the latest episode of their podcast following his third consecutive loss. Adesanya’s most recent fight took place at the weekend when he squared off against Nassourdine Imavov and suffered a devastating KO/TKO loss via punches in the second round.
On Pound 4 Pound Podcast, Usman and Cejudo analyzed what ‘The Last Stylebender’ should do next. Cejudo suggested that Adesanya should now carefully choose his opponents. The former bantamweight champion said:
“He already fought Strickland, he’s fought Robert Whittaker, he fought Nassourdine Imavov. I think for a guy like Israel Adesanya at this point, just let him pick his fights. He’s 0-3 in his last three fights let him pick it. I’m cool with that.”
Usman chimed in, referencing Anderson Silva’s career trajectory and suggesting that Adesanya should focus on fun fights moving forward. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ said:
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“He’s at a point in his career where remember, Anderson Silva got to this place where he started picking fun fights. Izzy showed that he can still fight, he was sharp. I think right now, Izzy should take his time and come back at the end of the year.”
The losing streak started when Adesanya was dethroned by Sean Strickland, who claimed the middleweight title. Next, the Nigeria-born Kiwi faced Dricus du Plessis for the title but suffered another loss. His most recent setback came against Imavov.
Check out Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman’s discussion below:
Israel Adesanya reflects on future after loss to Nassourdine Imavov
The loss to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia marked Israel Adesanya's third consecutive defeat, causing him to drop from number two to number four in the division rankings.
In a backstage interview following the loss, Adesanya was asked about his future in the middleweight division. He expressed uncertainty but emphasized that he would focus on supporting his teammates who have upcoming fights.
‘The Last Stylebender’ said:
"I don't know [what's next]. I'll have to chill and then think about things. I will relax first for a little bit, just help the teammates who have fights coming up. Yeah, I'll see what I want to do. I was going to do that anyway, but now I'm forced to. Shoutout to Nassourdine for that.”
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below: