UFC 281: Israel Adesanya talks what he learnt from Georges St-Pierre in their Toronto meeting
Israel Adesanya had a once-in-a-lifetime evening with fellow UFC great Georges St-Pierre back in July. The duo had dinner in Toronto and shared snaps of their time together on their social media.
Looking back, the UFC middleweight champion shared what he's learned from the French-Canadian legend. According to Adesanya, St-Pierre imparted his insights into navigating fame and glory, which have led some UFC champions astray.
Check out Israel Adesanya's post below:
Speaking about his dinner with 'GSP' during an interview with BT Sport, 'The Last Stylebender' said:
"It's always good to get input from someone who actually has been in my position, someone who's actually been there and he truly understands. So we had dinner in the nice steak house then we went to the Embassy. Me and him we're just... You know when you get drunk with someone and you just have like raw talks? There's some stuff that this game will present to you that you have to be able to navigate and I've done well so far. I've not been on TMZ for the wrong reasons, neither was he."
Check out Israel Adesanya's interview below:
Adesanya also revealed that St-Pierre flew to Toronto for the sole purpose of meeting him. Ever grateful for the gesture, the UFC champ vowed to repay St-Pierre's hospitality if he ever visits New Zealand.
Israel Adesanya relates to Georges St-Pierre's experience as UFC champ
Israel Adesanya recently received blowback for what many perceived were underwhelming performances. Towards the tail-end of St-Pierre's career, the former UFC welterweight champ was similarly criticized despite his successful run.
Ultimately, though, Adesanya pointed out that St-Pierre's career was fondly remembered by fans when it was all said and done. For that reason, 'The Last Stylebender' believes that the criticism being thrown his way won't affect his legacy.
In the same interview with BT Sport, Adesanya said:
"You can try and relate, but it's different when you're in it. I remember when I was a fan and he was getting all the s*** as well. I'm like, 'Bro, you don't understand what this guy is doing.' Like he's a great. He's one of the greatest of all time. And now after his career is done, what do they speak about him? They say he's one of the greats. They don't remember those. They just remember the whole career."
Adesanya will face Alex Pereira in the main event of Saturday's UFC 281 pay-per-view. The middleweight championship bout will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York.