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Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping recently came to the defense of current titleholder Israel Adesanya after criticism over his win against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.
In a clip from his YouTube channel, Bisping stated that he believes Adesanya's run at the top makes him one of the best in the UFC. He said:
"I see a lot of people talking about Israel Adesanya right now. People are criticizing the guy. I mean, come on, the man is fighting the best people in the world, time after time."
Bisping continued on Adesanya's fighting style, stating that he avoids getting hit during his fights. In bouts with Yoel Romero and Jared Cannonier, 'Izzy' dodged a most of their attacks and landed a few of his own, earning him the decision win in four of his last five fights. 'The Count' also said:
"We do want to hit and not get hit, now fighters don't live by that motto, some fighters will take one to land one. But, unfortunately, some of those fighters struggle to put a sentence together as they get older, maybe I'm one of those guys. Izzy has a fantastic approach, he's got a fantastic team around him and I love watching his fights."
Adesanya is unbeaten in the middleweight division since entering the UFC and won the belt after beating Robert Whittaker in 2019. Since then, he has successfully defended his title on six occasions while taking 4 of his 6 fights to the final round.
Fans were left seen leaving early during the main event, while many others declared it a "boring" performance. 'The Last Stylebender' claimed that fans watching did not know a "real fight" drawing parallels to UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
Watch the clip from Bisping's channel below:
Israel Adesanya defends his performance after UFC 276 win
Israel Adesanya came out after the match in defense of his performance after his win over Cannonier. He even claimed that fans like failure when someone is on the path to achieving greatness in the sport, saying:
“You get to this point where it’s like you’re so great, people just want to see you fall. They just want to see you fall, no matter what. And if it’s not like a show-off, spectacular performance, then it’s like ‘ah, he’s not even that good!'"
While Adesanya continues his dominance over the division, he is set to face an interesting test against rising sensation Alex Pereira. 'Poatan' holds a 2-0 record over Adesanya in kickboxing, including a vicious KO victory. Adesanya will aim to avenge his defeat as a UFC champion this time around against the dangerous challenger.
Watch the clip from the post-match press conference at UFC 276:
