"You can't have a Kelvin Gastelum fight like he had every single time" - Paul Felder defends Israel Adesanya's title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276
Paul Felder recently stated that it is not possible for Israel Adesanya to have exciting fights all the time.
Adesanya was the subject of criticism from UFC fans for his performance in his latest title defense against Jared Cannonier. Many believed it was a lackluster display from 'The Last Stylebender', who picked up a unanimous decision win after five rounds of action.
However, 'The Irish Dragon' opined that it's not possible to have an exciting fight every single time for a long-standing champion like Adesanya. While speaking to Michael Chiesa during the UFC 276 REACTIONS show, Felder said:
"Not every single one of these title defenses can be an absolute barnburner. First of all, if you wanna have a long career - that 'Izzy' seems to wanna do, he seems to be want to be champion for a while - then in the future, move up again and take another crack at that double-champ status. But for right now, he just wants to reign through this division. And in order to do that, you can't have a Kelvin Gastelum type of fight like he had every single time out or you just won't be there long enough to be the champion."
Watch Paul Felder and Michael Chiesa talk about Israel Adesanya's performance below:
Adesanya had an absolute war against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 as the duo squared off for the interim middleweight championship. While it was entertaining for the fans, that type of brawl certainly leaves long-lasting effects on a fighter's health.
Hence, one might understand why the champion is reluctant to get involved in those wars and chooses to play it technical and safe.
What's next for Israel Adesanya?
Israel Adesanya might meet his old nemesis Alex Pereira in his next title defense. 'Poatan' moved up to the No.6 ranking in the middleweight division with his devastating first-round knockout win against Sean Strickland at UFC 276.
Adesanya and Pereira have fought twice before in kickboxing, with the Brazilian claiming the win on both occasions, including a nasty knockout. He happens to be the only fighter to ever finish 'The Last Stylebender' in combat sports.
It looks certain that 'Poatan' will get a shot at Adesanya and the middleweight after only three fights in his UFC career. Given the history between the duo, the clash should be an exciting affair.