Israel Adesanya gives full breakdown of Saudi Arabia boxing event in immediate backstage reaction
Israel Adesanya was thoroughly impressed by the 'Day of Reckoning' boxing event co-headlined by Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fights in Saudi Arabia.
In recent times, boxing has invited criticism for the lack of multiple high-profile fights on the same card, unlike in other sports like MMA.
However, the past weekend at Riyadh, fans were treated to multiple high-profile fights, the most prominent being the featured bouts of Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker.
The card also featured Dmitry Bivol vs. Lyndon Arthur and former unified heavyweight title challenger Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller.
In a backstage reaction to the boxing card, 'The Last Stylebender' spoke out in appreciation of the event, opining that it was the most stacked card in boxing history. He added:
"All of the fights were exciting or competitive. There were no boring fights at all. Yeah, crazy, crazy night of fights man, it was exciting. This is good for boxing."
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below from 10:45 onwards:
Additionally, the UFC star gave props to Bivol for his impressive footwork and ability to pick shots from different angles. The Nigerian-born Kiwi was also amazed by Miller for lasting till the final round before getting TKOed by a talented boxer like Dubois.
Adesanya was especially appreciative of his countryman, Joseph Parker, for his career-defining performance against Deontay Wilder. The MMA star saw Parker winning most of the rounds.
Interestingly, the 34-year-old compared Wilder to his former foe Alex Pereira, claiming both men have unfathomable power in their punches.
Breaking down the main event, the middleweight superstar opined that while Wallin was dangerous at the start, a composed 'AJ's' methodical approach coupled with his punching power was what swayed the fight in the Briton's favour.
Israel Adesanya says boxing is different from "actual fighting"
While Israel Adesanya is a fan of the pugilistic arts, he firmly believes boxers are not the best fighters in the world. Per the UFC star, one can't claim to be the best fighter in the world without being proficient in multiple disciplines.
During an episode of the FLAGRANT podcast, 'The Last Stylebender' revealed his motivation to be a well-rounded fighter, saying:
"Boxing is different from fighting...If I really want to be the best fighter in the world... I never want a man to be able to handle me in any situation... For me, I feel like to be the best fighter in the world, you have to be able to beat any style you know, and that's why I put my ego aside, and I was like I'm going to learn how to grapple."
Catch Israel Adesanya's comments below (49:12):