Israel Adesanya will be fighting for fun now as he says the belt doesn’t matter to him.
At UFC 293, Adesanya lost his middleweight title as he dropped a decision to Sean Strickland in a rather one-sided fight. It was a disappointing performance for Izzy, and since then, many have wondered what would be next for Adesanya, as there were talks of running it back.
However, Israel Adesanya says he isn’t concerned if he gets an immediate rematch to get the belt back. Instead, he says the belt never mattered to him.
“The belt’s never mattered to me. 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,” Israel Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “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. Just for fun.”
RELATED: Eric Nicksick reveals Sean Strickland was nearly pulled from UFC 293 fight.
Although Israel Adesanya says the belt doesn’t matter to him, there is no question he wants to get the fight back against Sean Strickland to prove he can beat him.
Adesanya was a massive favorite to beat Strickland, but the American’s pressure proved to be the difference. But, Adesanya also says he didn’t feel like himself in there which is why he’s confident in a potential rematch.
“Like a bad dream,” Adesanya said when asked about how he felt. “One of those where you, not even a nightmare. A nightmare is like, ‘Oh s**t. F**k.’ A nightmare, you’re scared. I was just like, you try to hit the guy, and it just felt like noodle arms. Like, ‘What the f**k.’ It just felt like a bad dream. Feeling it and watching it were completely different. I called Eugene (Bareman) right after and we talked and the same thing. We’re quietly confident.”
As of right now, there is no word when Israel Adesanya will fight again.
