Israel Adesanya briefly addressed the media after experiencing one of the biggest upsets in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. Adesanya was expected to easily defeat Sean Strickland in the UFC 293 main event, but after five rounds, Strickland emerged as the new middleweight champion with a unanimous decision victory at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Saturday night.
Adesanya’s Brief Statement
Adesanya, known for his thoughtful interviews, made only a brief statement at the post-fight press conference before deferring to City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman. “I had a different plan for this but again life throws curveballs at you,” Adesanya said. “Win or lose, I wasn’t going to say much anyway but right now, I lost tonight to the better man on the night. I just want to go and be with people who care about me — my team and they’re waiting for me so I’m going to do that.”
Adesanya then introduced Bareman, saying, “I’ll leave you with Eugene Bareman. He’ll handle this for the first time. I want to go chill, have some breakfast, build my family and till next time.” With that, Adesanya exited the podium.
Adesanya’s Social Media Response
“The Last Stylebender” later posted a brief video on social media, promising to address the defeat in greater detail down the road. “Still thriving,” Adesanya said in the video. “It’s all good. I hate losing, but I love living. I’m thriving, so yeah. I’ll hang out with the family first, then I’ll address the people. But right now, I’ve got to put me first. I’ve got to put me first, Lucius.”
After starting his UFC career with 12 consecutive victories at 185 pounds, Adesanya has lost two of his last three middleweight appearances. An immediate rematch with Strickland appears to be a possibility, as mentioned by UFC president Dana White during his session with media on Saturday.