Retired former UFC champion pens heartfelt words for Israel Adesanya, explains why UFC 287 win is extraordinary
Israel Adesanya managed to reclaim his throne against long-time rival Alex Pereira, prompting a lot of support to come his way from fellow athletes and even former UFC champions.
As expected, UFC 287 was a spectacle for the fans and lived up to all prior expectations. While the newly crowned middleweight king captured the headlines, there were even more huge stories to emerge following the conclusion of one of the most stacked pay-per-views of the year.
In a post on social media, former UFC women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk penned an inspirational message to Israel Adesanya after he managed to rise through adversity and recapture his 185-pound title:
"The real middleweight KING is back - @stylebender! Big congrats man. It's extremely difficult to become the UFC champion again, especially after so many dominant title [defenses], and then a sudden defeat. One of the greatest."
Big Congrats man. It’s extremely difficult to become the ufc champion again, especially after so many dominant title defencens, and then a sudden defeat. One of the greatest.
The Real Middleweight KING is back - @stylebender !!! 👑 Big Congrats man. It’s extremely difficult to become the ufc champion again, especially after so many dominant title defencens, and then a sudden defeat. One of the greatest.🏆
#Tb Skinny asses from the weigh ins 3.6.2020 https://t.co/bhsQszYJwn
Adesanya has become one of combat sport's biggest superstars since his emergence in the UFC. Despite having a career filled with highlight-reel knockouts and memorable moments, none surpass those from UFC 287.
After falling short in fights against Alex Pereira on three separate occasions —with two of those defeats coming by knockout — 'The Last Stylebender' got one back when he delivered a huge stoppage over the Brazilian.
Not only did he score a monumental knockout victory against 'Poatan' that will live on forever, but his post-fight celebration in which he fired arrows into his lifeless opponent's body is one of the most iconic images in UFC history.
Like Israel Adesanya, how many former UFC champions have managed to regain gold after losing their title?
Fighting your way to the top, winning UFC gold, and retaining it is a feat not many in the history of the sport have been able to do, but the percentage of competitors who have been able to reclaim their title after losing it is even lower.
Legendary contenders like Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, and the aforementioned Joanna Jedrzejczyk all failed in their attempts at recapturing a belt they previously lost. So, who has achieved this accomplishment?
Alongside Israel Adesanya, a number of elite UFC fighters fought back from defeat and reigned as champions once again. Stipe Miocic did so in his rematch against Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre put on a masterclass against Matt Serra following a huge upset, and Cain Velasquez put on an all-time display in his second outing against Junior dos Santos.