"It was atrocious" - Israel Adesanya on Francis Ngannou-UFC feud, believes his new contract will help bring change
In the wake of his freshly inked multi-fight deal with the UFC, Israel Adesanya recently offered his take on Francis Ngannou's contract fiasco with the promotion. Adesanya believes his contract could ease talks between the fighters and the organization in the future.
In the aftermath of his UFC 271 triumph against Robert Whittaker, Adesanya offered some insight into the status of Francis Ngannou's dealings with the promotion.
Adesanya asserted the UFC had made mistakes. However, they were already working towards fixing them. He admitted Ngannou's situation with the UFC and his contract were the first steps in bringing forth these winds of change that could prove beneficial to all fighters, including 'The Predator'.
When asked whether he felt he was underpaid based on his performance at UFC 271, the Kiwi argued that he did not feel the need to discuss his dealings with the UFC. He further revealed why Ngannou was forced to discuss his contract status publicly.
"With [Francis Ngannou's] case, that he needed to bring that forward because it was atrocious and I respect him for that... I feel like it's the first step in this trickle-down effect to the rest of the fighters and lifting everyone up. I'm not saying like pay the debutant some crazy money. I'm just like, 'Nah, pay them enough to be able to you know train feed their family and actually not have a second or third job.' You know, because we're UFC fighters... You know, the UFC is going to do right. I feel like this is the first step. Francis started it off and you know I'm getting my dues as well."
Check out Israel Adesanya's interaction with the media right here:
Despite continued complaints from Ngannou's camp, the two parties are yet to come to an agreement regarding his association with the UFC. Ngannou last fought at UFC 270 and beat Ciryl Gane. The heavyweight champion is expected to be out for some time due to a knee injury.
Israel Adesanya rates his performance against Robert Whittaker
During the same interaction with the media, Israel Adesanya admitted that he had performed decently well against Robert Whittaker at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. On a scale of 1-10, he rated his efforts at a satisfactory seven.
"Seven out of 10. Not bad. Good night in the office. Good chess match."
#UFC271 Official Scorecard: Israel Adesanya (@StyleBender) vs Robert Whittaker
All Tonight's Scorecards: ufc.com/news/official-… https://t.co/DDAy2T2C1P
Israel Adesanya managed to overcome the challenge presented by Robert Whittaker after five rounds. He won the fight by way of unanimous decision. Two of the three judges scored the fight 48-47, and the third judge scored the fight 49-46 in his favor.
Adesanya's next opponent also seems set after UFC 271. Jared Cannonier defeated Derek Brunson, and he is next in line for a title shot.