Watch: Israel Adesanya shows off improved grappling acumen in new clip
Israel Adesanya, the reigning middleweight king, has been working hard on his wrestling.
He posted a video via Twitter showcasing his wrestling skills. In the clip, Adesanya can be seen landing a huge takedown on his sparring partner.
Watch the footage below:
https://t.co/xE4lEEkKLf
Already considered as one of the best strikers in the UFC, 'The Last Stylebender' is undefeated in the UFC middleweight division. However, critics claim that the Kiwi has room to improve in the grappling and wrestling departments.
The same was visible in his fight against Jan Blachowicz when he challenged the Pole for his light heavyweight title.
In the fight, Adesanya was overwhelmed by Jan Blachowicz's wrestling and strength. The former light heavyweight champion easily controlled the Nigerian native on the ground. Blachowicz subsequently cruised to a unanimous decision victory at UFC 259.
Adesanya being humbled by Jan Blachowicz on the ground was a bit of a surprise. 'The Last Stylebender' has one of the best takedown defenses in the octagon but size could have played a role in this. Adesanya had to move up a division as he challenged the Pole for the gold.
Things have been better for Adesanya in UFC's middleweight division. 'The Last Stylebender' has defeated accomplished wrestlers and grappling specialists such as Derek Brunson, Marvin Vettori, Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker.
The middleweight king will now face Whittaker in a rematch for the title on February 12th at UFC 271. The pair have been training hard for this big clash in a month's time.
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Robert Whittaker plans to exploit flaw in Israel Adesanya's game
Robert Whittaker recently appeared in an interview with MMA Junkie where the Australian candidly revealed that Adesanya has a chink in his armor.
'The Reaper' hinted towards Adesanya's ground game. Whittaker revealed that he will look to take the Kiwi down and neutralize his rival's striking.
Whittaker said:
"I would love to be able to get him on his back... It's no secret that the greatest advantage anyone would have with Izzy is on his back, where he can't use his long arms and long legs to hit you. Am I going to just focus on that? That's anybody's guess, because I can strike with the best of them as well."
Robert Whittaker has momentum on his side. He's on a three-fight winning streak going into the clash against Israel Adesanya. The former middleweight champion will also look to avenge the loss he suffered against Adesanya on his home turf at UFC 243.
Robert Whittaker says ego cost him in loss to champ Israel Adesanya #UFC271 (via @Farah_Hannoun) mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/01/ufc-27โฆ