Adesanya reveals injury battle prior to title win

Photo: PhotoSport / Stephen R. Sylvanie

Israel Adesanya has revealed he fought through a serious leg injury to regain his middleweight title at UFC 287.

Adesanya suffered an MCL tear and ankle sprain prior to his rematch with Brazilian Alex Pereira on April 9.

Speaking with younger brother David on his YouTube channel, the Nigerian-New Zealander says the grade one tear was nothing he hasn’t dealt with before in his career.

“I’ve been here before. My UFC debut three weeks out, I did my right ankle but if you can’t change your circumstance, you change your perspective. So I was like, ‘right, this is meant to happen.’ Getting from there to the cage was already like a big win for me.”

The 33-year-old concedes no fighter is truly 100 per cent.

“Everyone goes into a fight with something, it might be a finger, sore legs, a back or whatever.”

Adesanya said he was adamant he would not let the injury affect him.

“I was just like, ‘nah, you’re not gonna break me.’ You have to be able to control your emotion and now is the time to f***** fortify yourself and make sure you’re locked in. I’ve been through worse. Life kicks your a** man.”

Adesanya also acknowledged the controversy surrounding his post fight celebration.

In a full circle moment, Adesanya flopped to the canvas to mock Pereira the same way Pereira’s son had done after Adesanya was knocked out by his dad in 2017.

“When you step into an octagon, you see everything because you’re so activated. You’re so hyper aware. I knew what everyone was. I knew where his family was. So as I was walking around, I see his kid.”

Adesanya says if he had a son who entered the cage after 287 and mocked Pereira for getting knocked out, Adesanya would force his son to apologise.

“His sister was shielding them because they were crying. I don’t react I respond. The guy knocked me out in his home country and it’s my first ever time being put out cold and then you see your kid doing that? You don’t have the discipline to scold them, making fun of one of the moments of my life that I’m not so proud of? If you’re not gonna teach your kids manners and respect I will, so I did that kid a favour. Now he has a life lesson they can hold on to forever and just remember that. I don’t regret it. I’m glad I did.”