The main event of UFC 263 lived up to its hype. In his third successful title defense for the Middleweight title, Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya outclassed Marvin Vettori to win the fight on a unanimous decision.
It was the leg kicks that worked out brilliantly for Israel Adesanya who started landing them from the start and never let up. As for the Italian Dream, his game plan was taking the champ to the canvas. The fight also had some entertainment thrown in with Adesanya casually grabbing Marvin’s rear end while the two were in clinch position at the end of round four.
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Vettori had a few moments in the fight where he thought his game plan was working out, but Adesanya showcased his improved grappling skills as he escaped those takedowns to get back on his feet. There was a moment in the fight where everyone thought that Marvin had victory in his sights when he attempted a rear-naked choke on the champion, but Adesanya rolled out of it to gain the top position. In the end, Adesanya won every round on all three official scorecards winning with a score of 50-45 over the five rounds.
The two fighters had a few heated words after the five rounds and when commentator Joe Rogan asked Adesanya about it, he said, “I was just saying at the end of the day, you don’t like me, I don’t like you, but this is martial arts, show some respect. I said I won, he said you didn’t win. I said you keep thinking that, whatever helps you sleep at night”
What’s next for Israel Adesanya?
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Israel Adesanya could most likely be set up for a rematch against former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker who many believe deserved the title shot ahead of Marvin Vettori. In the post-match interview, the current champ called out Whittaker, he said, “You know, the old mozzy, my arch-nemesis, what’s his name? Whittaker, Bobby Knuckles. I knocked his ass out last time. We need to run that back in Auckland, in my territory this time. I’ll tell you where it is, you don’t get to decide. Why? Because I’m the f****** king bi**”
Shashank Iyer