Israel Adesanya gives real-time reaction to Bruce Buffer's Anthony Smith faux pas - "Was that a joke?"
Israel Adesanya reacted to Bruce Buffer's gaffe during the Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino winner announcement at UFC 301.
Buffer, the iconic octagon announcer, made a rare blunder during the fight event. While announcing the winner of the light heavyweight clash between Smith and Petrino, Buffer mistakenly declared Petrino victorious despite Smith securing a submission win.
Realizing his error immediately, Buffer swiftly corrected himself. Smith, demonstrating good sportsmanship, turned around and shared a laugh with the veteran announcer.
The incident garnered a reaction from former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who was live-streaming the event. Adesanya, along with his friends, erupted in laughter as Buffer fumbled the announcement. Adesanya jokingly remarked:
"Was that a joke?"
Check out Israel Adesanya's reaction below (2:18):
Despite the momentary confusion, Smith assured reporters during the post-fight press conference that he held no animosity towards Buffer.
'Lionheart' stated:
"I feel really bad for Buffer. I know how serious and how much he loves his job and how professional he is. He is really hard on himself. Me and Bruce are friends, like we work together a lot. So, he takes his job so serious. He takes it to the heart; he puts his heart and soul into this job. I feel bad because he's probably bummed out about it. I hope I get to talk to him after. I'm good with it — people make mistakes. It's no big deal. I just hope he's not beating himself up too bad."[H/t: TalkSport]
Manel Kape issues street fight challenge to Israel Adesanya
Despite a massive difference in weight class, flyweight contender Manel Kape isn't backing down from a potential altercation with former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Kape, standing at 5 feet 5 inches and competing in the 125-pound division, boasts an undefeated record "in the streets" according to a recent interview on the Jaxxon Podcast.
He claims to have fought and defeated much larger opponents before, suggesting size wouldn't be a factor in a potential confrontation with Adesanya, who stands at 6 feet 4 invhes and fights at middleweight.
Kape said on the podcast:
"I'm undefeated in the streets, I don't give a f***k, I already beat many guys of his size. I don't give a f***k [about his size]. Put him in front of me in the streets, and we're gonna see. It's everything in the street. [Adesanya] is pretty good; I'm pretty good too, brother."
Check out Kape's comment below:
The tension between the two fighters stems from a scuffle at the UFC 293 press conference in late 2023. Kape instigated the altercation after criticizing Adesanya's teammate, Kai Kara-France.