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Israel Adesanya has admitted that it was not his idea to move up to compete at light heavyweight. The UFC middleweight champion will fight Jan Blachowicz for the 205 lb gold this weekend at UFC 259.
Israel Adesanya has already defended his title twice since becoming the 185 lb champion at UFC 243 in 2019. With a clean MMA record of 20-0, the New Zealand-Nigerian fighter could become the UFC's eighth double champion and the fourth while actively holding another belt.
Speaking to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Israel Adesanya explained the process behind the idea of moving up weight classes. "The Last Stylebender" said his team came up with the plan.
"I will be honest and frank with you. I didn't decide. It was after my last fight. Literally on the way to the hotel room, or on the way to the restaurant afterward that my coach... well, everybody decided behind my back. Everyone, like, they all had a meeting, and they said whatever they said, and Eugene [Bareman] was the one who approached me, and he was like, 'right, this is the next move to make, we think.
"And, of course, like I've said this before, I am the canvas, you know, I have a lot of artists that, you know, put a lot of work into me. So, yeah, I have to consider their feelings as well, and then when Eugene pitched the idea to me, I was just like, 'Hm... you make sense. You make sense.' And yeah, it is, like I said, is like the ultimate alley-oop [basketball reference] from the universe, and I'm about to dunk on this b*tch, man."
Israel Adesanya will headline a UFC event for the fifth time in his career. However, there are two other title fights set to happen at UFC 259 on March 6.
Amanda Nunes will defend her women's featherweight championship against Megan Anderson, and Petr Yan will fight for the first time as the bantamweight champion against Aljamain Sterling.
Israel Adesanya's original idea to move up to light heavyweight
According to Israel Adesanya, he had another idea about when he should move to the 205 lb weight class. "The Last Stylebender" wanted to compete on a bigger stage to make the change.
However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the promotion is hosting its events without the presence of a crowd. UFC 259 will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
"My only plan in my head was 2021, [Las Vegas] Raiders' Stadium [also known as Allegiant], that's when I was going to go to 205 lb. That was my own plan. But like I said, you know, they had this meeting behind my back, and they pitched me the idea, and it made sense. And also, it made dollars, so yeah. We have a strategy, not just in fighting but in the aspects of the game," Israel Adesanya said.
