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Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had a front-row seat to witness Anderson Silva's final fight in the UFC.
The 45-year old Silva faced Uriah Hall in the main event of UFC Vegas 12 last October, and ended up getting knocked out in the fourth round.
It was a bitter end to what has been a stellar UFC career for Silva, a former long-time UFC middleweight champion.
On hand to see the action unfold was Israel Adesanya, along with City Kickboxing teammate Brad Riddell, who documented the event on his blog.
Adesanya could be seen doing a bit of play-by-play during Silva's fight, breaking down his former opponent's movements inside the Octagon:
At one point in the video, Adesanya explained what it was like to be inside the Octagon with Silva:
"In the third round, there was one time only, his back was against the fence, and he was waiting, and I froze for about five seconds, and I was like 'Sh*t!' In my head, I was like 'I'm fighting Anderson Silva!', and I came back around and I was like 'No! This is my time!' and I moved to the front and I said 'Let's go, right here!'"
Israel Adesanya defeated Silva back in February of 2019 in one of the biggest wins on his road to becoming a UFC champion.
Adesanya and Riddell were in Las Vegas to corner their City Kickboxing teammate Carlos Ulberg, who went on to earn a UFC contract via Dana White's Contender Series.
Israel Adesanya admitted to getting emotional during Anderson Silva's final UFC fight
Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has never been shy about his admiration for MMA legend Anderson Silva.
That's why when Adesanya was in attendance at UFC Vegas 12 back in October, he couldn't help but get emotional upon seeing Silva's final time inside the UFC Octagon.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show, Israel Adesanya recounted the moment that had him teary-eyed:
“I was just like in awe when he bowed in the middle of the cage. I knew the feeling, because I just did it in my last fight, after the fight was over and everything, people cleaning up, I finished the ESPN interview and then I copped out and said ‘Hold up, just give me a second.’ I just went to the cage and just kind of like soaked it in.”
“But I’ll be back, he’s not. That was his last moment, so I could imagine. I got me a little bit teary-eyed, but I just swallowed it back down and embraced it, and I just spider-watched. I was just privileged, honored to witness,” Adesanya added.
While Silva will likely never compete in the UFC again, Israel Adesanya is charting his own path to glory.
'The Last Stylebender' is expected to challenge Jan Blachowicz for the UFC light heavyweight championship sometime in 2021.
If he can get past Blachowicz, Adesanya will become a two-division UFC champion, something that Silva was not able to accomplish.
