Israel Adesanya hits back at UFC fans for calling him 'washed' after third loss in a row
Yesterday at 07:32 AM
Israel Adesanya is riding a rough patch in his career, with three losses in a row. Despite this, ‘The Last Stylebender’ isn’t letting ‘washed’ allegations get to him.
Adesanya has 80 kickboxing fights under his belt but has never faced three losses in a row until now. The former middleweight champion was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1, and fans have been quick to jump on the ‘washed’ narrative.
Calling a fighter washed is to say they’ve lost their spark or are over the hill. Adesanya isn’t having any of it.
‘You haven’t even been in the laundry’ … Israel Adesanya responds to washed comments
In a Q&A on his YouTube channel, Adesanya slammed the washed comments in a way only Adesanya could – a questionable quip.
“They call me washed,” Adesanya said. “But how are you gonna call me washed when you haven’t even been in the laundry? Like you haven’t gotten dirty, what have you done? That’s bars.”
Former middleweight champion Adesanya was the second-most dominant middleweight champion in UFC history, behind Anderson Silva. Adesanya claimed the title in October 2019 and didn’t give it up until November 2021. He won it back in the rematch with Alex Pereira and dropped it again to Sean Strickland.
What’s next for Israel Adesanya
After his knockout loss, Adesanya is expected to take some time from MMA to recover and return stronger. Unlike the lighter men’s divisions, there isn’t a damning correlation between age and title fight wins at UFC middleweight, so he may mount another title run. Although, Adesanya says he doesn’t expect a UFC title soon.
Middleweight isn’t the only limit for Adesanya, who fought as a heavyweight in kickboxing. The Nigerian-Kiwi fighter fought for the light heavyweight title against Jan Blachowicz in 2021, losing unanimously. With the proper preparation, Adesanya could make a successful debut at light heavyweight and possibly set up another rematch with Alex Pereira.
