“Thank You for This Gift Oh Great One” – Muhammad Ali’s ‘Plane Crashes, a President Assassinated’ Letter Has Israel Adesanya Inspired

A loss in MMA can have dire consequences, whether it’s physical or just the mindset of a fighter. As fans, we’ve often seen fighters not being the same after losing a fight. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with the former UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

The last Stylebender was undefeated before going into the fight against Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Furthermore, as long as the fight lasted, the Nigerian had the better of ‘Poatan’ for the most part. However, in the final round, a barrage of punches hit Adesanya clean, and the fight was stopped.

The fight marked his first loss in the middleweight division, moreover; he lost his belt as well. Nevertheless, despite all these adversities, the former champ seems in good spirits and has displayed the character of a champion. He seems to have taken the loss on the chin. Moreover, seems to draw inspiration from arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali. 

Muhammad Ali inspired Israel Adesanya in defeat

Adesanya took to his Twitter to upload a compilation of pictures that included him and Ali. Moreover, he also uploaded a note that had Ali’s quotes on loss. The last stylebender also posted a picture of one of his favorite anime ‘Avatar: the last Airbender’. Adesanya captioned the post saying, “The past can be a great teacher.” – Aang. Got this gift from the greatest of all-time’s team. The compliments I got from them about dealing with this weekend filled me with pride. Thank you for this gift oh great one. I will always be inspired by your spirit, forever.”

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However, the note was the biggest highlight, because that showcased what Adesanya’s mentality was, post losing his title. The note said, “It’s a good feeling to lose. The people who follow you are going to lose, too. You got to set an example of how to lose. This way they can see how I lose. It’ll be old news a week from now. Plane crashes, a president’s assassinated, a civil rights leader assassinated, people forget in two weeks. Old news.”

It also described the state Ali was in while speaking these words. The note said, “Muhammad Ali speaking softly through his swollen jaw while lying on his bed at the Hotel New Yorker after losing the fight of the century.”

Moreover, it also included his achievements after he took the loss. It said, “Ali would go on to reclaim his title two more times.”

What are your thoughts on Adesanya’s attitude post losing his title? Let us know.

WATCH THIS STORY: Five Times Israel Adesanya Obliterated His Opponents Inside The Octagon