Sean Strickland, the former UFC middleweight champion, has shared some strong opinions about Israel Adesanya’s skills, and they might surprise you.
Adesanya recently made his return to the Octagon in Australia. This fight was his first since losing to Strickland by decision last year. Adesanya faced Dricus Du Plessis, who had taken the middleweight title from Strickland by split decision earlier in January. With the anticipation high, fans were eager to see how Adesanya would fare in his first title defense.
The bout was competitive for the first three rounds. However, in the fourth round, Adesanya found himself in trouble. He was rocked by Du Plessis, brought to the ground, and quickly submitted. This loss puts Adesanya’s future in question, with a potential rematch against Sean Strickland likely on the horizon. Strickland earned his shot at the title with a victory over Paulo Costa in June.
Sean Strickland Slams Israel Adesanya’s Skill Set
In a recent appearance on the “Verse Us with Eric Nicksick” podcast, Strickland gave his thoughts on Adesanya’s performance and career. Strickland, who has sparred with several fighters who have faced Adesanya, shared his candid views on the former champion.
Strickland’s comments were direct. He expressed his belief that Adesanya was never as impressive as many people thought.
He said, “So when he fought Kelvin, and I think Kelvin sucks. Everyone is like ‘Oh, Izzy is this and that,’ dude, I’ve sparred Kelvin so many times. I’m like, you had a close fight with Kelvin, you’re not that f*cking good.”
Strickland didn’t hold back in his critique of Adesanya’s performance against Paulo Costa either. He added, “Like, you’re not that fcking good. You fought fcking [Paulo] Costa, and Costa was scared sitless of you. You fcking blew on him and he went to sleep. Izzy is just not that f*cking good.”
The debate over Adesanya’s abilities and Strickland’s critiques raises interesting questions. Does Strickland’s opinion hold weight given his experiences and direct competition with Adesanya? Or do his comments reflect a more personal bias rather than an objective assessment of Adesanya’s career?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
