UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is looking ripped a month out from his next title defence.
Adesanya, 33, is preparing to make the sixth defence of his 185lb belt at UFC 281 in New York on November 12 when he fights former kickboxing rival Alex Pereira. The pair have previously fought twice in kickboxing but never in MMA, with Pereira winning a controversial split decision in 2016 before brutally knocking out Adesanya in their rematch the following year.
'Stylebender' has been bulking up in preparation for his third fight against Pereira and tipped the scales at 98kg two weeks ago, but has seemingly lost a decent amount of weight since then as he looks ripped in a recent picture. Both men will need to weigh no more than 84kg for their middleweight title clash, as Pereira is in for a hefty weight cut having weighed a whopping 105kg in August.
Some fans haven't been impressed by Adesanya's physique, with one stating he looks "soft". "Wow he does not look good, worst shape of his career and it's the most important fight of his career and he looks soft," the user wrote. Another warned Adesanya his speed could suffer because of his newfound muscle mass, as they wrote: "Funny thing about getting bigger is you lose some of that top speed. And the bigger you get, the more of a wrestler you have to become."
Adesanya has been criticised by fans for his recent title defences, with some even calling for the champion to be stripped of his title because of his "boring" fights. 'Stylebender' has already beaten Robert Whittaker and Jared Cannonier this year as he looks for his third win of 2022, with oddsmakers having him as the favourite despite his two losses to Pereira in kickboxing.
What are your thoughts on Israel Adesanya's physique ahead of his next fight? Let us know in the comments section below
Pereira's third meeting against Adesanya is a full circle moment for the Brazilian as it marks almost a year to the date that he made his UFC debut, as he fights 'Stylebender' in the same arena as his inaugural fight for the promotion.
Pereira revealed he's been watching Adesanya closely for the past three years, telling MMA Hoje : "Two years before signing [for the UFC], I already wanted to join the promotion. I won’t say I’ve been studying him specifically, but I’ve been watching him, his behaviour. The way he moves, the way he fights."
