UFC Champ on the Only Thing Israel Adesanya Lacked in Replicating Conor McGregor’s Success: “Didn’t Have…”

The UFC has been the playground of Conor McGregor for many years now. He has been the biggest star ever since he joined the promotion in 2013. There have been many speculations regarding who can replicate ‘Notorious’s success and even compare to him as an equal. However, Aljamain Sterling believes Israel Adesanya could be that person.

He feels ‘The Last Stylebender’ lacks that one aspect that is preventing him from a dominance similar to the Irishman. What could that be?

Aljamain Sterling claims Adesanya needs one thing to replicate Conor McGregor’s success

During a Q&A Podcast session, ‘Funkmaster’ discussed which fighter would be on the same level as Conor McGregor in terms of the success he has had in the UFC. Sterling believes the only logical name would be the two-time middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. He said, “I would say Izzy is the only one who’s able to semi-replicate what Conor did in terms of an impact.” 

“The only thing he didn’t have was the perfect dance partner with a rivalry.” 

The reigning bantamweight champion mentioned how even the Alex Pereira rivalry couldn’t match the level of excitement that McGregor’s rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov generated. “We thought it was gonna be Pereira, which was good. But I don’t think it was at the magnitude that it was with Conor and Khabib,” said Sterling.

While fans may agree or disagree with Sterling, Adesanya has achieved some unique accolades in the UFC.

Israel Adesanya created records at UFC 287

Several reasons support Aljamain Sterling’s claim that Adesanya might be the one who could match McGregor’s UFC impact. Adesanya didn’t just defeat his long-time rival at UFC 287, he also created some records. Firstly, he became the first-ever fighter to win the middleweight gold two times in the promotion.

Secondly, he tied the record for most knockdowns with Anderson Silva in the division with thirteen. Adesanya also created history after garnering a record for the second most title fight victories in the middleweight division with eight wins. Thirdly, he also recorded eight ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses.

READ MORE: After Wishing to See Him Against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Joe Rogan Makes a “GOAT” Claim for Ex-UFC Champ

Israel Adesanya didn’t take much time to win his first gold in the UFC. He quickly became a household name in the promotion. Adesanya is 33 years old now and still has a strong couple more years under his belt. We will have to wait and see how things pan out for the Nigerian-born Kiwi fighter in the future.

WATCH THIS STORY: List of Jon Jones UFC Returns That Will Shock You