WATCH: Israel Adesanya sustained serious knee injury just days ahead of facing Alex Pereria at UFC 287 rematch
The reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya experienced a defining moment in his career when he emerged victorious against his arch-rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
However, Adesanya has since revealed that he had to overcome significant obstacles in the days leading up to the highly-anticipated rematch. Just before the fight, Adesanya sustained a serious knee injury, which posed a real challenge to his ability to perform at his best.
In a recent appearance on the Ramble, Young Man, Ramble podcast, Israel Adesanya and his brother David delved into the pre- and post-fight drama surrounding UFC 287, including a shocking revelation about the physical toll the bout took on the 185-pound kingpin. During the podcast, footage was shared of Adesanya's training partner attempting a takedown, which caused his knee and ankle to buckle awkwardly.
This resulted in a grade 1 MCL tear to Israel Adesanya's knee, as well as damage to his ankle, just 13 days before his highly anticipated fight against 'Poatan'.
'The Last Stylebender' remarked:
"I remember the feeling as well, it felt hot. It felt hot, like a burning feeling. But this it just mental toughness, mental toughness and adrenaline... We're fighters man, don't worry, I've been through worse. I've been through some sh*t."
Watch the entire sequence of events below:
Despite the setback, 'Izzy' dug deep and rose to the occasion, demonstrating his unyielding determination and grit as a fighter.
Israel Adesanya accuses Dricus du Plessis of "creating divide"
The rivalry between UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis is reaching a boiling point as the two fighters engage in a war of words. The source of the tension lies in du Plessis' recent comments regarding Adesanya and other former African champions, whom he dismissed as "Fake Champions."
In contrast, 'Stillknocks' asserted that he alone is a true African contender capable of claiming the UFC championship. These comments have not gone down well with 'The Last Stylebender', who takes great pride in his African heritage and has been a vocal ambassador for the continent in the UFC:
"I’m going to f*cking take him to school in the octagon and on history. What he’s doing is creating a divide You can’t know your history – I have never questioned him as an African because, yeah, you were born in Africa, South Africa, of course you’re an African."
He added:
"I’ve never questioned that. But who the f*ck is this cracker to tell me who the f*ck I am, who the f*ck Kamaru is, who the f*ck Ngannou is. I’m like, ‘Are you dumb?’ As a product of colonization, you’re trying to tell me who the f*ck I am. You could take the boy out of Africa, but you could never take the Africa out of the boy."
Check out Israel Adesanya's entire remarks below (from 1:26:31 onwards):