'If Jared Cannonier is going to cruise to a loss, how is it Israel Adesanya's responsibility to do more?' - Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier has defended Israel Adesanya for what many perceived to be a lackluster performance against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.
According to 'DC', the onus was on 'The Killa Gorilla' to take more risks as Adesanya had the upper hand. During the latest episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC show, the UFC Hall of Famer said:
"People have said this and it's been a bit of a cliche, but it takes two to tango. If Jared Cannonier is going to cruise to a loss, how is it Izzy's responsibility to do more?"
'DC' added that Cannonier had a few moments of success early on, but Adesanya prevented him from getting any kind of momentum going. Cormier further added:
"Now, I think Cannonier, early, had some moments, but they just weren't sustained. He could not get it going to a level or to a degree that could truly challenge Adesanya. Adesanya is one of the most talented counter-strikers in the business so you gotta be very guarded with your engagements because if you don't, you end up like Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker in the first fight."
Adesanya walked away from UFC 276 with his fifth successful title defense. On top of that, 'The Last Stylebender' kept his undefeated middleweight record intact with 12 straight wins in the division since he joined the promotion.
Watch Cormier's full take on Adesanya vs. Cannonier below:
Israel Adesanya wants revenge against Alex Pereira
Israel Adesanya will likely face his old rival Alex Pereira next after they both emerged victorious at UFC 276. Not one to shy away from a challenge, 'The Last Stylebender' welcomed a matchup against the man who owns two wins against him.
During their professional kickboxing days, the Brazilian became the first and only fighter to successfully knock Adesanya out. However, 'The Last Stylebeder' reminded his foe that they're in a completely different sport now. Ahead of UFC 276, Adesanya told reporters:
"This TikTok generation has 15-second memory, so they forget. All they see is the knockout, but they didn’t watch the first fight or even watch the second fight before the finish. This is not kickboxing, this is mixed martial arts, and these ain’t big pillow gloves. These are four-ounce deadly weapons, and I can’t wait to drive that through his face after I go through Jared Cannonier."
Watch Israel Adesanya's full interview below: