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What's the story?
In an interview with Luke Thomas, Israel Adesanya laughed unabashedly when he was asked what he thought of the striking level in the UFC's Middleweight division. "The UFC, in general, is just not on our level," said the New Zealander.
In case you didn't know...
Israel Adesanya made his UFC debut recently at the UFC 221 pay-per-view, which was held in Perth, Australia. Adesanya locked horns with Rob Wilkinson and secured an impressive second-round TKO. The emphatic win earned the New Zealander a Performance of the Night bonus as well. Since then, many have compared him with the likes of Jon Jones and Anderson Silva.
The heart of the matter
The Nigerian-born Middleweight comes with a rather impressive resume in combat sports. He reportedly has a 75-4 professional kickboxing record, which includes 29 knockouts. He has also boxed professionally and holds a 5-1 record. Adesanya transitioned into MMA back in 2012 and is currently undefeated with a record of 12-0. But what's truly scary is the fact that all his 12 wins were by way of knock out.
In the aforesaid interview, Luke Thomas asked Adesanya how he would rate the level of striking in the UFC's Middleweight roster. And the confident 28-year-old striker responded with unrestrained laughter. After taking a moment to gather his wits, he revealed that he considered Derek Brunson among the few middleweights who possess good striking skills.
"The Last Stylebender" then asserted that in terms of striking, the UFC is not at par with the gyms in New Zealand. He added that once he elevates his level in grappling as well, he will be unstoppable in the octagon.
What's next?
The charismatic striker said in the interview that he intends to have four more fights in 2018. Apparently, seven fighters turned down a fight against him at UFC 221 before Rob Wilkinson accepted the challenge. So, at this point, Adesanya is open to fight anybody the UFC decides to put in front of him.
Author's take
The UFC has been witnessing the arrival of promising, young fighters lately. Besides Adesanya, welterweight prospect Darren Till and Justin Gaethje come to mind. The promotion will certainly need fighters like these to keep the sport exciting and continue to attract new fans across the world.
