"I fight intelligent" - Israel Adesanya reveals he has little to no brain damage
Israel Adesanya has said he has very little brain damage despite his extensive kickboxing and mixed martial arts career.
There are some fans who do not approve of the way he carries himself. However, the majority enjoy watching Israel Adesanya compete as he continues to extend his reign as the UFC middleweight champion.
In the majority of his UFC fights, he's been able to completely control the pace of the bout. Outside of his war with Kelvin Gastelum, nobody has really been able to land a heavy volume of shots on him.
It's been a fascinating journey to watch up to this point and, as per the man himself, he hasn't accumulated much damage along the way:
“This life isn’t for everyone, this game isn’t for everyone, especially if you play the game stupid. I don’t, that’s why I still have my wits about me, I’m able to speak to you clearly and I don’t slur. I have very, very little or no brain damage, because I fight intelligent.”
What's next for Israel Adesanya?
The next step for 'The Last Stylebender' is a rematch against arguably his greatest rival Robert Whittaker this weekend. The two will meet at UFC 271 in their second collision following a massive event at UFC 243 in Australia.
On that night, in front of over 50,000 fans, Adesanya produced one of his finest displays as he knocked Whittaker out twice in one fight - capturing the undisputed middleweight crown in the process.
While he may plan on taking a minimal amount of damage once again in this fight, Whittaker seems to have been revitalized since the loss. He's been able to defeat Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum, all via decision.
Adesanya may well have to adapt his style if he's going to get another win on his record. Given how strong he's been defensively, alongside his offensive work, it's still going to take a monumental effort for anyone in the UFC to take the title away from him.