"He did exactly what he needed to do" - Megan Anderson discusses Israel Adesanya's win at UFC 276

Israel Adesanya (L) and Megan Anderson (R) [Images via Getty]

Israel Adesanya has received some backlash for his latest performance. Despite negative sentiments from some MMA fans, most fighters and analysts believe Adesanya should not be ridiculed for avoiding damage and winning a championship fight. Former UFC fighter and current SportsCenter analyst Megan Anderson believes the champion was doing what needed to be done.

I'm just speaking facts-- "The Last Decision-Maker" Israel Adesanya is boring as sh**. What a lame main event performance at UFC 276. I'm still not impressed with this dude. Pereira's gonna knock him out again. Stop defending him @dc_mma. 😴🛌🏽

👑👓: youtu.be/v3_Znk_KRso https://t.co/KS56BbGVLH

Adesanya beat Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) at UFC 276. Those bemoaning Adesanya's performance were not necessarily judging it for being boring, instead addressing the fact that he promised a spectacular performance and didn't deliver.

During a segment on SportsCenter, Anderson had this to say about Adesanya's UFC 276 performance:

"Was it Israel's most exciting fight to date? Absolutely not, but he did exactly what he needed to do, and that is win the fight. He used his range, picked his shots, and used the IQ he has."

Adesanya's win against Cannonier was his fifth successful title defense. Comparisons to Anderson Silva were relevant before UFC 276, but the lack of unforgettable moments could halt that conversation. With that said, the middleweight champion's ability to clear out the division will solidify his legacy in UFC history.

Watch Megan Anderson discuss Israel Adesanya's performance below:

Chris Pratt apologizes to Israel Adesanya for comments about 'pitter patter' performance

One person who wasn't satisfied with Adesanya's performance was actor Chris Pratt. After the fight, Pratt went on record saying that the middleweight champion shouldn't have been talking about a perfect performance and then not delivering.

After 'Izzy' responded on Twitter, the celebrity apologized by saying:

"You’re right. I’m sorry brutha. It bugs me when people criticize my work- having never themselves risked anything. It makes me a hypocrite to do exactly that to you. My bad. Keep on keeping on champ."

@stylebender You’re right. I’m sorry brutha. It bugs me when people criticize my work- having never themselves risked anything. It makes me a hypocrite to do exactly that to you. My bad. Keep on keeping on champ. 🙏🏻♥️

Adesanya's next opponent will likely be Alex Pereira, who beat the UFC middleweight champion twice in kickboxing. If the Nigerian-born kiwi can win that fight, he may have to give the light heavyweight division another try due to a lack of contenders at middleweight.