54 Y.O. Roy Jones Jr.’s Boxing Comes Back to Life, as Mike Tyson’s Ex-Coach Discloses Uncanny Resemblance With Israel Adesanya Before UFC 293 Sean Strickland Fight

Israel Adesanya has proven time and again that he is indeed a special fighter. Arguably the best striker in the UFC since Anderson Silva, his wrestling skills, however, are not as lauded. The middleweight champion has no submission victories in his career so far. But, the fact that Adesanya has become one of the greatest champions in UFC history just off of his striking is a testament to how extraordinary his striking is. And although the Kiwi lost his title once, he won it back in an immediate rematch. These feats from ‘Stylebender’ have earned him some serious commendations from a revered boxing figure.

In an interview with ESPN, Mike Tyson‘s former trainer and Boxing Hall of Famer Teddy Atlas, compared him to boxing legends to explain what makes Adesanya’s striking so good. Always having his way with words, Atlas elevated Adesanya to the level of boxing’s messianic figures to explain how special the MMA star truly is. Being an experienced coach, Atlas listed what qualities the UFC champion had that he had seen in the boxing greats like Roy Jones Jr..

How are Israel Adesanya and Roy Jones Jr. similar?

The host asked Atlas about Israel Adesanya’s striking and which fighter would the trainer compare him to. Atlas, without any hesitation, said  Roy Jones Jr. and explained that they were both unorthodox fighters whose keen instincts, timing, self-belief, and reflexes allowed them to fight in their own way and be tremendously successful.

“Roy Jones Jr., he had those special qualities like Adesanya, where he could make his own music. That is not easy. He doesn’t go by the boxing Playbook or the striking playbook where he does things in a conventional sense. He dropped his hands. [you’re] not supposed to do that. But he makes it work because he has tremendous timing, tremendous instincts, tremendous reflexes, tremendous quickness, tremendous belief in himself,” Atlas told the host.

Atlas compares Adesanya to boxing p4p king Terence Crawford

The Hall of Famer also drew comparisons between Adesanya and no. 1 ranked pound-for-pound boxer Terence Crawford. Both, according to Atlas, seem to have more time than their opponents in the ring and have extraordinary fight IQ which helps them find chinks in their opponents’ armor.

Read More: “That’s Absolute Class” – Conor McGregor Impresses Fans with His Gesture for Coach Kavanagh Despite Being on a Date With Fiancé Dee Devlin

“A little bit like Crawford where he can slow things down in the cage. He can see things other people don’t see. He saw that opening with Pereira. He has the ability to see things slower and can see things others cannot see. When you can do that, your timing is even better.”

Ever since Royce Gracie won the first UFC, it has been conventional wisdom that a fighter who relies just on their striking cannot win against an opponent who can grapple well. Except, of course, if you are Israel Adesanya. And as he gears up to defend his title against #6 ranked middleweight contender Sean Strickland at UFC 293 tonight, the middleweight champion has spoken about wanting to have a submission victory in the future. Do you think Adesanya will try for a submission against Strickland? Let us know in the comments section below.

Watch This Story: Israel Adesanya Ranks Himself Above Michael Jordan in Pettiness