Israel Adesanya breaks silence about Sean Strickland loss: 'Felt like a bad dream'

20/09/2023 23:45

Israel Adesanya has broken his silence about his UFC 293 loss to Sean Strickland.

The two-time UFC middleweight champion puslished an interview to his YouTube channel with his brother David Adesanya on Wednesday reflecting on his thoughts about his stunning title loss for the first time since UFC 293's post-fight press conference.

"Quietly confident," Adesanya responded when asked how he's been feeling. "Quietly confident, and that's after watching the fight. I was like, 'Oh yeah, I see.'"

Adesanya, 34, suffered one of the most shocking UFC results in recent memory when he lost a one-sided unanimous decision at the hands of Strickland at the Sept. 10 pay-per-view.

Adesanya was an overwhelming betting favorite to defeat Strickland and notch the ninth championship win of his UFC career, however it was Strickland who became the story. The brash American outstruck and outworked Adesanya from pillar to post in an all-standup affair. Strickland even knocked down Adesanya with a wicked first-round flurry and closed the bout taunting Adesanya, roaring at the now-former champ to come forward.

"How did I feel in there? Like a bad dream," Adesanya said.

"It wasn't a nightmare. A nightmare is like, 'Oh s***, f***.' A nightmare is like you're scared. It was just like, you try and hit the guy and it just feels like noodle arms. Just like, what the f***? So yeah, I just felt like that — like a bad dream. The feeling I had watching it was completely different, and I called [coach] Eugene [Bareman] right afterward and we talked — and same thing, I'm quietly confident."

Adesanya said Tuesday that it felt as if the bout went by "surprisingly fast" in the moment. He said he felt fine after the knockdown and was fully recovered by the start of Round 2, however Strickland's pace and pressure never let him settle into a comfortable flow.

"I didn't realize it was the last round," Adesanya said. "I was like, 'Is this the last round?' Because I saw last round and I was like, 'F***, OK. Vamonos. You need to do something.' But yeah, it was just the way I felt in that fight wasn't — bleh. It was just, bleh. But again, it was also just the way he worked. He just never let me get into my rhythm at all.

"I just wasn't able to get my rhythm because of his pressure. He was right there constantly, and whenever I was setting him up because he's right there, then his coach would help him, and I'd be like, 'F***.' It was just a good game plan from their end. But also, for me, I wasn't able to adjust on the fly.

"I said it before the fight, I think his guard is just real unique and unorthodox, so I wasn't able to find my jab," Adesanya added. "And I'm able to find my jab [always]. I can find the chin. I'm very confident in that, but his guard was just good. It was good. Good defense and good offense, well-rounded game."

Adesanya noted that a teammate pointed out, in retrospect, that "The Last Stylebender" didn't carry himself with the same intensity he had been after UFC 293 switched from a grudge match against Dricus du Plessis to a fight against Strickland as a replacement opponent. Adesanya admitted that he "just didn't have that venom" for Strickland, but said that he still felt at the top of his game — at least, until the action started in the cage.

"I felt better in the back," Adesanya said. "I was like, 'F***, I'm sharp.' But yeah, I don't know, just, in there just felt like a bad dream. My arms were just noodles. I had no snap. I just weird. At one point I was just like, I knew — I was like, 'I've got to finish this guy, I've got to finish this guy.' And I tried. I set him up a couple times, he defended it well, corner helped him out, they were guiding him well, and then I just, 'OK, just try and find something — and don't get caught.' Especially in the last round, I was like, 'Make sure, don't get caught.'

"I don't like fighting like that. I like fighting to win and not be on the defensive primarily. I like to be offensive in certain situations, like in the last round, 'OK, we've got to go,' but I just couldn't go."

When asked when he'd fight again next, Adesanya replied simply: "We'll see."

"It's not over," he said. "The story's still being written."

Adesanya stated that his goal is now to become a three-time UFC middleweight champion. He also noted that he does not care who holds the belt when he gets his next title shot.

"The belt's never mattered to me," Adesanya said. "I mean, it does obviously, but how many times have I said it's just a fancy tiara that brings more money and this and that, rah, rah, rah. That belt's just a nice accessory. I've already got belts, I have many belts.

"I'm just going to do it again, just for fun," Adesanya added, flashing three fingers to signify his future as a potential three-time UFC champion. "Just for fun."