When Israel Adesanya suffered "painful" knee injury 13 days before Alex Pereira revenge: "I've been through worse"
Israel Adesanya once disclosed that he had experienced a significant knee injury a mere 13 days prior to his UFC 287 rematch against Alex Pereira in April 2023. 'The Last Stylebender' defeated Pereira with a second-round knockout, reclaiming the middleweight title he had lost at UFC 281 in November 2022.
The win marked a significant milestone for Adesanya. It not only saw him reclaim the title but also marked his first victory over his longtime rival 'Poatan' after three previous attempts.
Remarkably, he achieved this triumph despite entering the fight compromised by an injury.
In a YouTube video last April, the Nigerian-born Kiwi revealed that he had sustained a Grade 1 MCL tear in training two weeks before the fight, even sharing footage of the incident.
Reflecting on the experience, Adesanya discussed his initial reaction to the injury and his determination to push through the setback:
"Damn f***k, that was painful. I just didn't want to freak out. I remember the feeling as well; it felt hot. It felt hot, like a burning feeling. But this is 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. I have been here before; my UFC debut three weeks out, I did my ankle." [h/t Mirror]
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (37: 21):
'The Last Stylebender' went on to put his title on the line against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September but suffered a surprising upset loss via unanimous decision. After the bout, Adesanya revealed his decision to take a break from active competition.
However, the former two-time middleweight titleholder has concluded his hiatus and is now preparing for a showdown against reigning champion Dricus du Plessis in the main event of UFC 305, set for Aug. 17 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Israel Adesanya shares prediction for Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka rematch at UFC 303
Israel Adesanya's biggest adversary, reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, is gearing up to put his title on the line against Jiri Prochazka in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 303 this Saturday.
Despite 'Poatan' entering the fight with a second-round TKO victory over Prochazka, Adesanya anticipates a different result compared to their last encounter at UFC 295 in November.
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, 'The Last Stylebender' said:
"I'm going to go, Jiri, because we’re the chosen few. But also, I think he might have learned from his mistake because people don’t understand... And I won’t be the only guy to knock this guy out. I'm going to go Jiri, and I’m going to go by third-round or fourth-round finish."
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments below (10:07):