Israel Adesanya claims coach prevented him from going out on his shield against Sean Strickland: ‘I wanted to’
Former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya has claimed his corner and head coach, Eugene Bareman prevented him from going out on his shield against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 back in September, despite his demands.
Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, has been sidelined from the Octagon since that shocking upset loss to Strickland back in September in Australia, dropping his middleweight crown for the second time in the space of a year in the shocking upset blemish.
Israel Adesanya reflects on UFC 293 loss
Outpointed comfortably by massive betting underdog, Strickland over the course of five rounds, Adesanya claims despite his intentions, head coach, Bareman prevented him from standing and trading with the former in the fifth and final round of their UFC 293 clash, and effectively, going out on his shield.
“I never lost hope, I went back to the corner, and I was like, ‘Right, we ‘go’ this round, we must ‘go’ this round.’” Israel Adesanya told Teddy Atlas during a recent interview. “So, I was – even like when I asked Eugene (Bareman) in the fifth round, like, ‘Is this the fifth round?’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, right, and I said, ‘Should I just should I just go out there and go?’”
“I wanted to,” Israel Adesanya explained. “Like, kind of like, ‘F*ck it, let’s go.’ Like if I die, I die, like, go out on my shield.” (H/T MMA News)
Linked with a potential return to the Octagon in the coming months after laughing off initial claims he would not fight until 2027, former two-time middleweight best, Adesanya appears to have put on some significant muscle mass since his loss to Strickland.
And the recent uptake on mass has led to mass speculation across social media that Adesanya is gearing up for a trilogy rubber match with two-time Octagon foe, Alex Pereira in a bid to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion.
Who do you expect Israel Adesanya to fight in his UFC comeback?
