`The Last Stylebender` has confessed that he still harbors resentment over a crucial moment early in his career.
Since making his UFC debut in February 2018, Israel Adesanya has delivered numerous standout performances inside the Octagon. The former two-time middleweight champion introduced a sophisticated level of striking to MMA, immediately establishing himself as one of the sport`s most dangerous specialists.
Although Adesanya has moved past his famous rivalry with Alex Pereira, their encounters in both kickboxing and the UFC remain central to their respective legacies.
However, the trajectory of `The Last Stylebender`s` career might have been entirely different had he secured a goal he claims was unfairly denied to him.
Adesanya`s Falling Out with Glory Kickboxing
At UFC 287, Israel Adesanya finally claimed a victory over his greatest rival, Alex Pereira, marking his first win against him across both sports. Besides being the man who ended his first UFC middleweight title reign, `Poatan` was also the last fighter to defeat Adesanya in kickboxing.
`The Last Stylebender` transitioned to the premier MMA promotion the following year after severing ties with Glory. He indicates that the primary source of frustration wasn`t his knockout loss to the Brazilian in 2017, but a fight that preceded it.
Speaking during a recent Q&A session at Bangtao in Thailand, Adesanya reflected on his second-to-last professional kickboxing bout, where he lost a unanimous decision challenging Jason Wilnis for the Glory middleweight title.
He labeled the decision “crooked” and explained that while experiences vary, his relationship with the promotion started positively but rapidly deteriorated.
“With Glory though, I just felt they screwed me out of a world title because they wanted the Dutch guy to win,” Adesanya asserted. “So, yeah, that just made me really salty, and you know me, I’m a petty guy, so I hold grudges.”
If he had won that belt in Los Angeles that night, the 36-year-old might not have arrived in the UFC when he did, potentially altering his remarkable ascent to the top of mixed martial arts.
Adesanya, however, quickly softened his criticism: “Just kidding, be nice Israel. It’s a great organization for kickboxing. I think they did a lot for kickboxers coming up. They put me on the map and I’m grateful.”
Adesanya Discusses Rico Verhoeven`s Potential UFC Transition
Another highly successful Glory fighter, Rico Verhoeven, may soon follow Adesanya and Pereira into the UFC.
Derrick Lewis recently mentioned he was offered a fight against Verhoeven at UFC 324 after the heavyweight kickboxing champion vacated his title to pursue new opportunities.
During the Q&A, Adesanya recalled a sparring session with Verhoeven, which occurred when Adesanya was brought to the US to help Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson prepare for Jon Jones.
“He might not remember. He was a heavyweight, I was a middleweight. I could touch him but it wasn’t really doing anything; he was just moving me around.”
Adesanya concluded by suggesting that Verhoeven is preparing diligently for a potential move to MMA.
“Of course. He’s been training MMA for a while,” Adesanya noted. “Just because some people kickbox and specialize in kickboxing doesn’t mean they’re not doing other disciplines as well. I think he’s been very well-versed in mixed martial arts so we’ll find out.”
Neville Whittle