Once Bullied as a Child, Trash Talk on Israel Adesanya’s Controversial Dog Video and Chinese Connection by Sean Strickland at UFC 293 Gets Called Out by Manager

In the world of MMA, there are few rivalries that ignite even before a single blow is thrown, and the feud between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland is one such example. This rivalry was once again in the spotlight during the UFC 293 press conference. For those unfamiliar with the situation, Strickland is set to challenge Adesanya for the UFC’s 185 lb championship this weekend.

Before they even step into the octagon, these two fighters have been engaging in a war of words. This isn’t the first time such verbal sparring has occurred between them; a similar exchange took place during the UFC 276 press conference. In both instances, Strickland seems to have the upper hand, and it’s clear that this rivalry runs deep for Adesanya.

Sean Strickland’s correlation to Israel Adesanya’s childhood bully

Recently, Israel Adesanya‘s manager, Tim Simpson, drew a parallel between Sean Strickland and a childhood bully from Adesanya’s past. Simpson made this connection during an interview with ‘Submission Radio’, responding to a question about whether Strickland’s comments had any relation to Adesanya’s history with bullying. Simpson stated, “100 percent, and I smile because I literally had that conversation this morning. You know we’ve got some screeners out to some of the UFC team, the broadcast team, and we said the storyline is perfect, right? I don’t want to give too much away about the movie, but you said it right. The correlation with what’s going on is kind of exactly the plot almost.” 

The words come after Strickland, took aim at ‘Izzy’ during their recent exchange. The American is known for his no-holds-barred trash-talking style. During the press conference, he accused ‘The Last Stylebender’ of having ties to China and brought up controversial dog videos. Adesanya responded, but Strickland’s words had a visible impact on the Kiwi fighter, which may explain his manager’s comments.

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For those unaware, Israel Adesanya was born into a wealthy family in Nigeria but grew up in New Zealand, where he often faced racially motivated bullying. Adesanya has openly discussed these experiences in the past, even attributing them as motivation for his journey into martial arts. According to Tim Simpson, Adesanya’s experiences with bullies will be also incorporated into the plot of his upcoming movie, ‘The Stylebender’. This film is based on ‘Izzy’s life and his journey into martial arts. It is set to hit cinemas on September 28th across Australia and New Zealand.

Israel Adesanya reveals his next opponent following UFC 273 clash with ‘Tarzan’

The clash between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland is yet to take place. But even before the said bout could start, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has already revealed his next opponent. And according to the Kiwi, it’s none other than his arch-nemesis, Alex Pereira. The history between these two middleweights goes back to their kickboxing day with both men already squared on four different occasions.

Three of these four encounters have ended in favor of Pereira. However, during their last encounter, Adesanya managed to take his redemption by knocking out ‘Poatan’. Thus, reclaiming UFC’s 185 lb Gold. However, despite making it even inside the octagon, it looks like ‘Black Dragon’ wants a rubber match. However, before that could happen, the former kickboxer needs to first get past Sean Strickland.