UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has admitted he hasn't got a clue where his world title belt is.
The Nigerian-born New Zealand fighter will defend his belt for the fifth time against Jared Cannonier on July 2, but will need to find his belt before jetting off for Las Vegas. Cannonier earned his title shot by defeating Derek Brunson on the same card that Adesanya beat Robert Whittaker for a second time, and will be one of the last challenges remaining at his weight class.
And speaking with Combat TV before his headline fight at UFC 276 in the T-Mobile Arena, Adesanya made the shocking admission that he has no idea where his world title belt is. He is currently training towards the fight, and says he has no attachment to the coveted gold.
"The belt is quite heavy," he explained. "I actually don't know where it is right now. I'm not attached to that thing at all. I know who the f*** I am, I've been a champ before the belt.
"It's heavy. It doesn't need to be that heavy but I think they made it heavy for the emphasis. So you know you're holding something like, 'Woah, this is something of substance.' It's a cool belt. I like it."
Adesanya became undisputed champion at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne in October 2019 when he knocked out Whittaker in their first fight after a fierce rivalry with the Australian. But he believes that it should count as his first title defence, having won the interim belt against Kelvin Gastelum months prior at UFC 236.
He has since defended the belt four times against Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori and Whittaker again. He also attempted to become a two-weight world champion at light heavyweight, but was outpointed by Jan Blachowicz.
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"It's the same belt," Adesanya argued of his interim title. "That's why I said to people that I'm a five-time defending champion. F*** what they said about four. This is just common sense.
"When the champ who couldn't show up to work many times [Whittaker], who just pulled out recently as well, funny that, I'm the champ in the meantime. I beat him. That counts as a ruby on my belt. So my belt has five rubies. I don't give a f*** what the media says or what the commission says, I'm a five-time defending champion because I know who the f*** I am."
Adesanya's fight with Cannonier will headline the return of International Fight Week, and will be proceeded by a series of exciting events, including the UFC's latest Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Fellow top middleweight contender Sean Strickand will fight on the card against Adesanya's former kickboxing foe Alex Pereira.
