Every fighter tries to unleash their beastly side inside the octagon at UFC. However, every fight of the same fighter is not identical. The techniques and styles are different for different opponents and one fighter can have many versions. Just like Israel Adesanya had two different versions while fighting Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland.  He won against Whittaker and lost to Strickland after which he took a hiatus. Now Izzy is back for UFC 305 to take the title back from Dricus Du Plessis.

The main question is which version of Adesanya are we going to see inside the Octagon?

Demetrious Johnson narrows down on the winner version of Israel Adesanya

Johnson decided to break down ‘The Last Stylebender’ vs ‘Reaper’ fight at UFC 271. Adesanya had controlled the pace in round 1 and hit Whittaker with a dangerous leg kick to knock him down with a strike. However, the third round saw his opponent attempt to bring the fight down to the ground but easily did not allow him to control the groundwork.

Whittaker attacked Adesanya with a couple of jabs on the face for the first few minutes of the 5th round and avoided the knockout blue at all costs. However, Adesanya won the fight via decision and he was always on his toes never losing focus.

Demetrious Johnson pointed this out and said, “See just the fact that Izzy  is exchanging with a 1,2 Is so much better like this they’re all great versions of Izzy but this version of Izzy beats fight DDP  a lot of people.”

Johnson also mentioned how if the version of Izzy that fought Whittaker showed up to UFC 305 then it was over for DDP. He continued, “ Like if this Izzy shows up to fight DDP he will beat him. If the Izzy that fought Sean Strickland shows up, DDP is gonna win because that one likes, doesn’t like the exchange. He likes to run it on and be lateral with that. This one’s (Robert Whittaker fight) fu** hunting. This man is in touch with the ancestors And he hunting right now.”

During the fight with Strickland, Adesanya was outstruck in what turned into a complete stand-up bout. Strickland even managed to knock Adesanya down in the first round, resulting in a significant loss for Adesanya. Leading up to UFC 300, when many anticipated a fight between Du Plessis and Adesanya, Johnson expressed concerns, believing Adesanya was not ready and hadn’t taken enough time to recover after the loss to Strickland.

Adesanya took a hiatus to heal from lingering injuries and made changes to his lifestyle. As he prepares to return, there is some apprehension about the fight. Recently, Adesanya has been quite emotional, but he has the support of his team and parents as he gets ready to step back into the octagon.

Israel Adesanya consoled by parents

A support system is essential to reach success and for the fighter from Africa, it is his team and his parents. The two-time middleweight champion is already a legend in the sport but he has still a lot more to achieve. Unfortunately, the unanimous decision victory of Sean Strickland had affected him heavily and he had put his head on his coach Eugene Bareman‘s shoulder in sorrow in the aftermath of UFC 293.

He said, “I hate losing. Don’t get me wrong. I f***ing hate losing, I just felt like I let my people down. I wanted to show them something special [and] I felt like I let them down. That was the hardest thing for me.”  He stated this during the UFC 305 countdown video. During the fight when he lost, his mother also approached him and tried to keep his spirits out and motivate him. However, the fighter did not stay emotional for a long time and now he is back to get his title. He knew he needed to change strategies and that is exactly what he did.

Israel Adesanya’s approach to this comeback fight, with a new blueprint and fully recharged, definitely makes him a formidable opponent. His ability to adapt and learn from past losses is one of his strengths, so if he’s mentally and physically prepared, he has a good chance of winning. Do you think Izzy is going to win?