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Israel Adesanya has received a large amount of backlash from fans as they're beginning to grow restless with his approach to fights. However, John McCarthy has defended the 185-pound champion, stating that he's become more defensive.
'The Last Stylebender' burst into the UFC with a perfect 11-0 record, with each fight ending with a finish. The Nigerian-born kickboxer had never been in a third round until then. He carried this into his early career inside the octagon, earning himself two finishes in his first four outings in the company.
While discussing the situation with Josh Thomson on WEIGHING IN XTRA, legendary MMA referee 'Big' John McCarthy jumped to the defense of Adesanya. He insisted a change in style happens to fighters at the top of their weight class.
"Look, first off, Izzy is in a position as champion. Has he changed his fighting style a little bit? I do think he has. He has less output, he's much safer, he's much more defensive, he doesn't take the chances he did when he was coming up and starching people."
He added:
"[But] that's what happens when you say, 'Hey man, look. I'm making a lot of money here. I know I can sit there and point that guy out and get my win.' This is what happens... The performance, it was smart against a guy that's got power [Jared Cannonier], can't blame him."
The Nigerian-born champion has been the target for a wide selection of MMA fans. This comes after his win over Jared Cannonier saw him earn his third straight decision win. Supporters are suggesting that, since becoming champion, he has adopted a safer fighting approach and has not been very entertaining in the octagon.
Check out John McCarthy's defense of the middleweight king in the video below:
Will we ever see Israel Adesanya return to his old self?
Obviously, supporters are desperate for Israel Adesanya to refind the style that guided him to an entertaining title push.
The New Zealander will reignite his old kickboxing feud with Alex Pereira when the two meet in the octagon sometime in the future. The Brazilian reportedly earned a shot at the champion after his vicious knockout of Sean Strickland last weekend.
Following his victory over Jared Cannonier, Israel Adesanya promised fans that he would finish 'Poatan' this time around. With the pair's similar fighting styles on display, it is hard to imagine how this one will turn into an uneventful matchup.
Watch Adesanya's octagon interview at UFC 276 below:
Also, check out the video on MMA intergender fights made by Sportskeeda:
