Israel Adesanya was unable to hold back tears as he shredded the final pounds for his weight cut ahead of his latest UFC defeat.
The legendary two-time middleweight champion was allowed to come in at 186lb for the first time in over six years as he was fighting Nassourdine Imavov in a rare non-tile fight. However, he still opted to come in at championship weight of 185lb on the button.
Ultimately it was for nought as Adesanya was viciously knocked out in the second round to bring his record in the last five fights to a remarkable 1-4. He once looked unbeatable at 185lb, but has now struggled to get himself back to the top of the sport.
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Israel Adesanya had brutal struggle to make weight for UFC Saudi Arabia
Throughout fight week, Israel Adesanya has been sharing his progress with fans as he and his team prepare for his return to the octagon. The former champion was coming back for his first non-title fight since February 2019, having been stopped by Dricus Du Plessis back at UFC 305.
In his third fight week video, Adesanya refused to hide the brutality of his weight cut as he shed the final pounds in order to make the middleweight limit. He shared footage of himself in the bath sweating out his final bit of weight, in which he can be seen crying and declaring that his ‘eyes are just sweating’.
“I feel my body tingling,” he said at one point, while also describing his teary moments as him “just letting it all out.” He continued to speak seemingly incoherently before eventually getting to the desired weight and meeting with his parents.
Israel Adesanya was viciously knocked out in UFC Saudi Arabia main event
Unfortunately for Adesanya, such a brutal weight cut wasn’t beneficial in the long run as he was put down in the second round by Imavov. He seemed to be winning every exchange, shutting down the takedowns and more before the midway point of the second round.
At that point, Imavov landed a vicious right hand from over the top that landed flush, knocking Adesanya down. He immediately swarmed the former champion, and referee Marc Goddard had to stop the contest to declare a TKO win.
Imavov now flies up the rankings and consolidates himself as a top contender for the middleweight title. However, it seems likely he will be passed over by Khamzat Chimaev to face the winner of Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis’ rematch next week at UFC 312.
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