Israel Adesanya faced Alex Pereira at UFC 281’s main event but failed to defend the UFC middleweight title. The bout had drawn huge attention as both fighters come from kickboxing backgrounds. In kickboxing, Adesanya lost twice to Pereira, and the failure continued.
The start of the Poatan Era đ #UFC281 pic.twitter.com/461HGY5MSa
— UFC (@ufc) November 14, 2022
Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Dagestani MMA legend, talked about “the Last Stylebender” on social media before the UFC 281 fight. As a fan of the Nigerian-born New Zealander, Khabib has never missed an Adesanya fight, but he believes Adesanya is underappreciated and that if he defends a few more title fights, he will be on the same level as Jon Jones.
âI don’t miss Adesanya’s fights and actually feel like he doesnât get the credit he deserves. If he defends the title a couple more times, he will be on the same level with Jon Jones. Good luck. @stylebender #ufc281â
I don't miss Adesanya's fights and actually feel like he doesnât get the credit he deserve.
If he defends the title a couple more times, he will be on the same level with Jon Jones.
Good luck @stylebender #ufc281— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) November 13, 2022
But the harsh truth is that Adesanya experienced an unexpected knockout loss against “Poatan.” Khabib made the comparison because it was speculated that within a few days, Adesanya would face Jon Jones, who has been out of the octagon since February 2020 and is expected to return in 2023.
But it seems Jon Jones didnât like the comparison, so he decided to mock Khabib by posting a screenshot of that tweet with Khabib and Adesanyaâs photos on it.
âI appreciate the kind words Champâ
I appreciate the kind words Champ pic.twitter.com/aUxY2x0YwC
— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 13, 2022
Jon âthe controversialâ Jones is a phenomenon in the light heavyweight division of the UFC. The youngest UFC champion in history has fought in 28 MMA matches, won 26 of them, and hasn’t lost since 2009.
The two-time UFC light heavyweight champion has always been in the news because of his out-of-ring activities like hit-and-run cases and taking illegal substances. He had to relinquish his titles several times, was suspended once for such immoral behavior, and is now waiting for a green signal from Dana for his return.