Israel Adesanya feels Jared Cannonier is not cut out for "champ lifestyle"
Israel Adesanya is undoubtedly one of the greatest superstars the sport has ever seen. 'The Last Stylebender' appears to be a natural at handling and channeling the attention that comes with champion status.
Having had first-hand experience of it, Adesanya doesn't believe that his upcoming opponent Jared Cannonier is cut out for "champ lifestyle."
Cannonier has faced four former UFC champions and one former interim champ in his 13 promotional outings. However, Adesanya doesn't believe the experience will necessarily come in handy when 'The Killa Gorilla' faces him at UFC 276 this weekend.
According to the UFC middleweight titleholder, the press and media associated with a fight of this caliber might take its toll on his opponent. 'The Last Stylebender' recently told Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole:
"He fought those guys, yeah, sure, but has he ever fought a guy like myself, in International Fight Week, with the amount of press he has to do, the amount of attention and energy this takes? It's not for everyone, man. This is an acquired taste. This lifestyle, this champ lifestyle, and I don't feel like he's cut out for it. I know I am."
Watch Adesanya's interview with Yahoo! Sports below:
Jared Cannonier is not as camera friendly as Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya is levels above most fighters when it comes to his on-camera game. From dancing his way into fights to brutally trolling fellow fighters, 'The Last Stylebender' is arguably one of the most internet savvy fighters today.
However, his upcoming opponent Jared Cannonier doesn't appear to share Adesanya's knack for keeping up his social image. A clip of Cannonier recently went viral where 'The Killa Gorilla' is seen sporting a stone-cold expression while others around him went wild.
Cannonier was spotted with Paddy Pimblett, Molly McCann and Aljamain Sterling attending UFC 274 when his UFC 276 bout with Adesanya was announced. While the other three performed their antics in front of the camera, 'The Killa Gorilla' maintained a stolid expression.
Cannonier 💀
(via @funkmasterMMA) https://t.co/VZ8eHy4xYe
Commenting on the episode, the middleweight contender later stated that he prefers preserving his energy. Cannonier said on The MMA Hour:
"I'm there to watch the fights. I'm there to watch the circus, not be a part of the circus. No offense to anyone involved. I respect each and every one of my cohorts. I'm just doing me, man. They're doing them. That's me. I'm staying in my zone, staying in my energy, protecting my energy."
Watch Cannonier's appearance on The MMA Hour below: