Israel Adesanya's former opponent heaps praise on him following KO win over Alex Pereira
Israel Adesanya conquered his greatest adversary at UFC 287 in April when he knocked out Alex Pereira in the second round. 'The Last Stylebender' reclaimed the middleweight title in stunning fashion, and secured his status as an all-time great by becoming the first two-time UFC middleweight champion.
His former opponent, Jared Cannonier, has showered Adesanya in praise following the Nigerian-born Kiwi's victory over 'Poatan'. Cannonier was defeated by 'The Last Stylebender' at UFC 276 , but the pair share a healthy respect for one another, and 'Tha Killa Gorilla' did not refrain from applauding Adesanya's performance.
In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Cannonier said:
"Izzy finished him this time the same way he almost finished him in the first round of their first [UFC] fight. I think [Adesanya] made some really good adjustments in there, really prepared for Pereira to put the heat on him, and he came out on top. It was a beautiful performance, it was a beautiful counter [punch] that he hit [Pereira] with. It was scary seeing Pereira open up on him against the fence like that again, I was like, 'Oooh what's gonna happen here?' He was moving his head just like last time and caught him with the jab and straight cross... A classic "
Catch Jared Cannonier's comments below (3:00):
Jared Cannonier is scheduled to face Marvin Vettori in the main event of UFC Vegas 75 in June, in a battle between the No.4 and No.3 ranked middleweights respectively.
Both men previously fell short in their bid to become the undisputed 185-pound champion, and were both defeated by Israel Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya pens heartfelt letter to Alexander Volkanovski
Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski share a tightly-knitted bond, as the pair have trained together at City Kickboxing for many years.
Both men have conquered the mountains of their own division, and are bonafide UFC legends already. Following Adesanya's monumental victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 287, 'The Last Stylebender' penned a heartfelt letter to Volkanvoski.
Adesanya donned Volkanovski as the "greatest fighter on the planet," a title that the Australian no doubts deserves as he was atop the UFC pound-for-pound rankings prior to Jon Jones' return. 'The Last Stylebender' wrote:
"Thee Great @AlexVolkanovski ! Being friends with the greatest fighter on the planet has its perks, you learn how to be great yourself. What a time to be alive…you are witnessing two of the best ever! Enjoy the ride while it’s happening."
See the post below: