Watch: Israel Adesanya weeps as Bruce Buffer reads out outcome of UFC 284 main event
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya graced the recently concluded UFC 284 event with his presence. He was seated cage side to show unwavering support for his fellow City Kickboxing teammate, Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski.
Volkanovski dared to take on the challenge of becoming a dual titleholder by facing off against Islam Makhachev in the highly-anticipated main event of UFC 284.
As anticipated, a large number of local fans were disappointed that their fellow countryman Volkanovski did not emerge victorious. Among the disappointed fans were prominent UFC fighters Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker, who felt devastated to see their friend and teammate fall short on the judges' scorecards.
Volkanovski's defeat was a major blow not only to the fighter but also to his supporters who were hoping to witness their hometown hero achieve greatness.
When the judges' decision was announced by Bruce Buffer, 'Izzy' was visibly stunned and held his face in disbelief, with his eyes appearing to well up with emotion. Despite his disappointment, the former UFC middleweight champion showed his unwavering support for his teammate.
Watch Adesanya's emotional response as the judges' decision was announced in favor of Islam Makhachev below:
Israel Adesanya pumped up ahead of Alex Pereira rematch
Israel Adesanya is motivated heading into UFC 287. The event is scheduled to take place on April 8 and Adesanya is once again set to face his rival Alex Pereira in the main event. Adesanya is eager to reclaim the UFC middleweight title that he lost to Pereira after suffering a surprising fifth-round knockout at UFC 281.
In addition to the MMA triumph, 'Poatan' also has two kickboxing victories against Adesanya, giving him a 3-0 edge in their mixed martial arts rivalry. The approaching event will provide Adesanya with an opportunity to not only redeem himself but also balance the score in their bitter rivalry.
Backstage at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, Adesanya expressed his ambition to recapture the UFC middleweight championship he lost to Pereira in their last fight.
'The Last Stylebender' said:
"I’ve never not been motivated to fight this guy, but for this one I’ve put the pressure on myself.
He further added:
"Like, f*ck the belt, f*ck everything else. I have to beat this guy, so that’s my motivation."
Watch the entire conversation below: