Francis Ngannou has nothing but respect for former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
‘The Last Stylebender’ is fresh off his return to the cage at UFC 305 over the weekend. Back for the first time since losing to Sean Strickland a year ago, Israel Adesanya faced Dricus du Plessis. The South African won the gold in the former champion’s absence, defeating ‘Tarzan’ by split decision in January.
For three rounds, the two went back and forth. However, round four saw Israel Adesanya get rocked, dragged down, and quickly submitted by du Plessis. The defeat was a tough one for the Nigerian fighter, and it was tough for Francis Ngannou to watch as well. ‘The Predator’ is a longtime friend of Adesanya, having met him during his UFC tenure.
During UFC 305 fight week, Israel Adesanya publically bashed the promotion for erasing Francis Ngannou from their history. ‘The Last Stylebender’s comments carry weight and led to Dana White apologizing earlier this week. Adesanya’s comments also didn’t go unnoticed by the heavyweight, as he stated earlier today.
Francis Ngannou talks Israel Adesanya. pic.twitter.com/P1kqD0W6q6
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) August 22, 2024
Francis Ngannou pays respect to former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya
At a PFL press conference promoting his October return against Renan Ferreira, Francis Ngannou discussed Israel Adesanya. There, the former UFC heavyweight champion thanked his friend for having his back. Given Adesanya’s loss over the weekend, Ngannou plans to support him in the same way that the Nigerian has helped him over the years.
“It’s always great [to have his support].” Francis Ngannou responded to a question at the PFL presser about Israel Adesanya. “I mean, we didn’t know each other before we get [to the UFC] and get in our combat sports career. We had to know each other, and since then, [we’ve become friends]. My first fight was on the same card with [Kamaru] Usman and we hooked up and Adesanya [did too].”
He continued, “We’ve just always had good chemistry, and we’ll support each other. So, it’s been a good chemistry between us. Genuinely, everybody wishes everybody the best. Everybody wishes everybody to dominate in their division or to overcome what they’re going through. Whether it’s offstage, we’ve been supporting each other. It’s very comforting. You know, there are moments when you are up and moments when you’re down and truly need support from people who care for you.”
What do you make of these comments about UFC middleweight Israel Adesanya? Are you excited for Francis Ngannou’s PFL debut?
