"Real recognize real" - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo inquires about Alexander Volkanovski in wholesome interaction with Israel Adesanya

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend the blockbuster showdown between former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and WBC heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury.

Riyadh will be host to the Riyadh Season card for which a host of celebrities are expected to be in attendance. Riyadh is also the home of Al-Nassr FC, one of the most successful clubs in the country and a team spearheaded by soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

Adesanya and Ronaldo came across each other and had a wholesome interaction that got fans excited. Ronaldo mentioned that he had sent a message to Alexander Volkanovski, a teammate of 'The Last Stylebender'.

Here are some of the fan reactions:

"Real recognise Real [handshake emoji]"

"Legends recognise legends!!"

"My goat is meeting everyone today"

"Everyone who is anyone is calling Ronaldo the Goat and want to be around him. Inspirational"

"Goat recognises Goat"

Others commented on the conversation between the two athletes, where Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly asked Israel Adesanya about fighting on a particular card.

"Ronaldo can do that with everyone because everyone knows him"

"The way Ronaldo nodded his head to let him know that he can put him in the card anytime"

"Ronaldo thought he was iShowSpeed"

"Messi can't have a smooth convo like this cuz he a clown."

Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest scorer in international and club football in 2023 with 43 goals to his name ahead of Manchester City forward Erling Haaland.

Check out fans' comments in the screenshots below:

Fans react to Ronaldo and Adesanya's interaction

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Israel Adesanya announces long break from fighting

Israel Adesanya announced that he will not fight in the foreseeable future after an intense few years of activity.

Adesanya lost his middleweight title twice in the space of three fights and decided to put on the brakes and take time to recoup. He explained the reasoning behind his decision in an interview with a radio station, The Rock.

"Now I’m going to take time to look after myself, and I’m not going to fight for a long time. I’m definitely not going to retire because I know me, I’m not leaving like that. I know me. But if I did, I’m fine. I don’t need to prove anything else. But I know what I can do and what I can change in my lifestyle to make my body adapt to where I need to be. I’m going to heal myself up. You won’t see me fight for a long time.”

Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (24:38):