Fans of combat sports have come to rely on Israel Adesanya’s reaction videos following UFC events. Every time one of his teammates competes, Adesanya’s authenticity and the sincerity of his raw emotions are on full display for the enjoyment of the crowd. Naturally, “The Last Stylebender” responded to the recently finished UFC Fight Night 221.
The biggest triumph of his career was the one that Merab Dvalishvili earned to close out Saturday’s Fight Night at The Theater at Virgin Hotels. With his wrestling pressure and relentless speed, he suffocated Petr Yan, who was unable to keep up. The Machine increased his winning streak to nine matches and attempted 49 takedowns, which broke the previous record.
Israel Adesanya initially deemed the fight to be “high-level” because to the exchanges and level fluctuations in the opening rounds. Particularly pleased by Yan’s takedown defence in the opening round was Adesanya. Adesanya fell asleep during the middle of the battle and didn’t get up to participate in the normal post-fight analysis portion.
Watch: Israel Adesanya becomes “the hunter” for his upcoming fight against Alex Pereira
Israel Adesanya often immerses himself in a certain theme to get in the fighting mood. The way that Adesanya approaches fighting is akin to the method acting approach in that he develops a gripping story that serves as motivation both before and during the bout.
Since 2019, the former UFC middleweight champion has successfully completed five title defences. Yet at UFC 281, Alex Pereira, a kickboxing foe, defeated him by late Knockout in the fifth round, putting an end to his reign. In kickboxing, Pereira had already defeated Adesanya twice.
Israel Adesanya gets the chance to exact revenge on Pereira at UFC 287 and reclaim the 185-pound title. The tournament will take held at the Miami-Dade Arena in Miami, Florida, United States, on April 8, 2023.
As he was the middleweight champion, “The Last Stylebender” felt like he had a bullseye on his back for a long time. Adesanya feels as though the burden has been lifted now that he is once again a contender and is approaching the battle like a “hunter.”
In a terrifying trailer made by his clothing company Engage, Adesanya provided the narration.
“The game is still ongoing. The hunting season has begun. You can escape but not hide. Now the hunter becomes the prey.”