Israel Adesanya is on the grounds in Las Vegas for UFC 300, just as he expected.
But instead of headlining Saturday's historic card, a grudge match against UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, he will simply watch the fight from the stands.
“It broke my heart because we thought it was about us,” Adesanya said Friday. MMA hour.
“I'm glad [my manager] tim [Simpson] They called me before they announced it, I think it was three minutes before they announced Jamahal. [Hill] vs Alex [Pereira]because if I knew [the news] This is what would have happened on Instagram — Dana [White] There would have been a phone call. Because I was ready. I was training. All things. I thought it was over. I was in Switzerland training for maybe four or three weeks. It was on. ”
Adesanya, 34, is the frontrunner to headline UFC 300 against Du Plessis before the card's main event moves to a light heavyweight title bout between UFC champion Alex Pereira and former champion Jamahal Hill. It had been rumored for months. Adesanya's manager Tim Simpson made the announcement on Thursday. MMA hour Adesanya said he was “very upset” by the news.
Du Plessis recently said he decided not to fight at UFC 300 because he is still dealing with a foot injury sustained when he won the title from Sean Strickland in January. Regarding Adesanya, Du Plessis added, “When I say I'm going to be subpoenaed, you're going to be subpoenaed.”
On Friday, “The Last Stylebender” couldn't help but mock the champion's claims.
“They're not built like us. That's different,” Adesanya said. “I wasn't completely healed yet. I was on vacation, and when the opportunity came up, I thought, 'Oh my God, this is history.' This is monumental. UFC 300, damn it, let's do it. But again, they don't do it like we do. For myself, for Alex Volkanovski, for Kamaru Usman, when we were champions, we were just, like, shitty, just fighting guys. Fuck the belt. The belt is at home. Even the fans, every time they see me, they're like, “Oh, I want that belt back.'' I'm like, “Well, they're home.” I am a two-time middleweight champion. He will be 3 years old soon. It's at home. It's not about the belt.
“I'm coming for their heads. Now it's about fighting as hard as I can. But he's young, he did what he had to do, he got this far and he's a champion. It's very good for him. But yeah, it is what it is. You want to hold the belt and feel comfortable, that's your prerogative. But yeah, when we were going for the belt, it was just about fighting the best. I thought about that and that was it.”
With UFC 300 no longer taking place, du Plessis and Adesanya are expected to meet later this year. Both fighters have floated the UFC 305 event in Perth on August 17th as a possible landing spot for the fight.
If that happens, it would be the longest layoff of Adesanya's UFC career. The former champion has been out of action since losing to Sean Strickland in September 2023, but Adesanya said Friday that the setback taught him a valuable lesson: Don't rush to take every opportunity at the shortest possible time. I admitted that I got it. He repeatedly emphasized quality over quantity in the final match of his career, specifically targeting the three opponents he thought would be most interesting: du Plessis, Strickland, and, most surprisingly, the final His opponent was Khamzat Chimaev, Robert Whittaker. June 22nd.
“If Khamzat beats Rob, I’d like to give it a try,” Adesanya said.
“I like that [Whittaker fight for Chimaev], because I want to see what he can do. I'm excited. I like that kind of battle. I want to see what he can actually do against a tough guy at middleweight.I saw him fight Kamal. [Usman]And I watched that fight and thought, “Oh, Kamal had his.'' If it had been five rounds, it might have been a different fight.
“Gilbert Burns was someone I came to respect for him because it showed his heart,” Adesanya added. “I think he got dropped and came back and he won that fight. Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in that fight. So yeah, let's see what happens.”
However, one name noticeably missing from Adesanya's list is the man who ultimately nabbed the main event slot at UFC 300. Adesanya and Pereira share a lot of history, having faced off four times in kickboxing and MMA. Pereira won his first three fights and won the UFC middleweight title in 2022 with an impressive fifth-round knockout of Adesanya. But Adesanya had the last laugh, winning the 2023 Knockout of the Year and regaining the belt with a dramatic second-round revenge victory at UFC 287.
Pereira called Adesanya into an MMA rubber match after winning the light heavyweight belt in November, but “The Last Stylebender” had no interest.
“I know I only have some fight left,” Adesanya said. “Okay, if I beat Alex next time — if I fight him and knock him out hard again — what are they going to say? 'Okay, no, it's 3-2 now. Okay, let's do the best of the seven. For example, who am I fighting for? It wasn't about me fighting for anyone. I always thought this I was fighting a guy and I knew I could beat this guy. I always thought I could beat this guy. So I thought, “I just want to prove that I can beat him,'' and I went on the biggest stage. defeated him in the best way possible. And the story behind it is a story about showing what a person can accomplish when they put their mind to something, even after being knocked down three times, and that's the main one. did.
“Do you know why they ask for a fight, even if it's him? Because they need it. Do you know why I don't ask for a fight? Because I don't need it. And their In their hearts, all the potards out there, in their hearts, they know — they know who smiles the best, and that's why I sit pretty and have fun. That's why. So, once again, I did what I did, that story is over. Cool. I have some beef to get revenge on later.”
