Caio Borralho pinpoints when Israel Adesanya “gave up” against Dricus du Plessis: “He didn’t want to be there anymore"
Israel Adesanya was submitted for the first time in his career when he faced Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305. The pair headlined the pay-per-view card in a highly anticipated middleweight title fight, with many eager to see how Adesanya fought after a lenghty hiatus.
'The Last Stylebender' opted to step away from fighting after unexpectedly losing to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September. His return bout came against Du Plessis, and he looked far more comfortable in the octagon against the South African than against Strickland.
However, surging middleweight contender Caio Borralho believes that the former champion has lost the spark that made him one of the greatest 185-pound fighters in the history of MMA.
Borralho defeated perennial contender Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 96, the week after UFC 305. The victory thrust the Brazilian into the top five of the rankings, and he is now on the verge of a title shot.
He was recently interviewed by Submission Radio, during which he discussed Adesanya's loss:
"There was a moment where he gave up the fight. Actually, it was like a minute before he got finished. I think he got tired, I think he lost focus. He was starting to do things he doesn't usually do... I don't know if Adesanya still has it, the same focus... He looked a little bit scared, the expression on his face. He gave up the fight a minute before the fight ended. If you see, he gave some signs that he didn't want to be in there anymore."
Watch Caio Borralho discuss Israel Adesanya below (21:55):
Israel Adesanya vs. Caio Borralho next? Robert Whittaker discusses the potential fight
After suffering a second successive defeat in a UFC title fight, it may be time for Israel Adesanya to focus on facing a fellow contender. Including his UFC 305 clash with Dricus du Plessis, 'The Last Stylebender' has competed for with UFC gold on the line in his previous 12 fights.
With Caio Borralho on the verge of a title shot of his own, a former two-time opponent of Adesanya's in Robert Whittaker believes that a fight between the pair would make sense.
'The Reaper' was recently interviewed by Submission Radio following Borralho's win over Jared Cannonier at UFC Vegas 96 and said:
"Adesanya's in a position where he needs to fight a guy like [Borralho]. He needs to retain his place, per se. I'm sure Caio wants to jump at the opportunity."
Watch Robert Whittaker discuss Israel Adesanya's next bout below (1:03):