'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Israel Adesanya expressed his disapproval of a trans-woman fighting a man in a recent mixed martial arts contest. Shane Mistretta and Gita Figueroa competed against each other at the WCFL (World Class Fight League) 32 event back in June 2022. Adesanya's reaction to the post was met with mixed reactions from the MMA community on Twitter.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is not one to mince words. He often provides his two cents and has gained a reputation for being someone not afraid to express what he's thinking.
A lot of debate is being had about trans-athletes competing with cis-gender athletes in sports. At WCFL 32, Mistretta defeated Figueroa, who managed to put on a brief but bold scrap.
Adesanya voiced his disapproval on Twitter by questioning who sanctioned the fight:
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
"This just feels weird. Who sanctioned this? Why we allowing this??"
MMA fans pounced on the opportunity to troll Adesanya, who has been subject to some criticism owing to his lackluster display in recent fights.
@danielk31530638 mocked him by saying that he could make a similar excuse if he loses his UFC 281 fight against Alex Pereira:
"Perhaps you could use this for an excuse when Alex knocks you out."
Another user claimed that this fight was more entertaining than Adesanya's fights:
"More entertaining than your fights."
@kidder83 labeled Adesanya's comments as bigoted and called for a separate league for trans-athletes:
"Ur not even saying anything constructive, this gives bigotry lmao. Like why not advocate for a trans league so they can have their own playing field? If they wanna fight they should be allowed."
Check out some of the best fan reactions below:
Israel Adesanya claims that he will capitalize on the opportunity that the universe has provided in the fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 281
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has landed the perfect opportunity to avenge his losses to former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira. 'The Last Stylebender' will clash against the Brazilian 'Poatan' at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022.
Following his fifth title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276, Adesanya grabbed the opportunity to set the stage for a fight against Alex Pereira. Israel Adesanya previewed his upcoming fight on ESPN MMA and claimed that he's excited by the prospect of a fresh challenge:
''I run towards the fire, and this is no different. And again, after he beat me in Brazil, I never had any plans of trying to get revenge or anything like that, because I don't hold onto things, I let go of things. I'm telling you, the universe has presented this to me and it's right there, it's the perfect alley-oop, and I'm going to slam that b**ch."
He added:
"I'm excited to have someone who's going to attack me, who's going to actually try and finish me.''
Watch the interview with ESPN MMA below:
