Israel Adesanya is enjoying a much-needed recharge since his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last September.
“I’ve definitely grown,” Adesanya told TMZ Sports, “and I’m taking time to heal my mind, body and soul. Patience has been on my side throughout this. I’m a very patient person, so I’m able to just sit back, watch and make a plan.”
When Adesanya lost his middleweight belt to Strickland in one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history, he revealed shortly after that he would not be fighting for a “long time.” In addition to healing mentally, Adesanya revealed he was focusing on eating healthier and getting enough sleep.
“Now I’m making a living as a proper athlete, and that’s good,” he said. UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now! Adesanya will make his first return since that loss when he challenges Dorricus du Plessis for the middleweight title in the main event of UFC 305 on Saturday at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The bout has attracted considerable attention due to du Plessis’ controversial comments about his status as an “African fighter in UFC.”
“It’s nothing personal. I just want him to take responsibility for what he said,” Adesanya said. “My friend [Abdul
Razak Alhassan] Before the match, he said, “I respect Drikas, but what he said is terrible.” Drikas said, “I train in Africa, I do it in Africa.” [Alhassan] They are forced to flee their countries for better opportunities.
“He’s living behind the doors of privilege in South Africa and he can do that there so he wouldn’t understand it. Not like Francis. [Ngannou] He had to go overseas across the desert to train, you can’t call him a “real African champion” just because he didn’t train in Africa….
“Even if Francis is not a champion, even if I am not a champion, even if Kamal is not a champion. [Usman] “If he wasn’t a champion, he would never have been a champion. We paved the way for him. He goes out there and tries to own it all. Where does he get that mentality? What is that mentality? … I would say it’s a great honour to be one of the legendary African champions that have been in the UFC. He tries to own it all. It’s a colonialist mentality. He doesn’t see the error of his ways, but I’m going to show him the way.”
It’s clear that Adesanya is highly motivated to reclaim his title and is confident that at 35 years old, he still has plenty left in him.
“This isn’t a one-and-done deal. I’m not done yet,” he said. “I know I can carry myself in this game for a long time and I can close this chapter of my life with a bang. I’m going to finish strong. I’m going to enjoy it and really soak it all up these next few years.”
