Israel Adesanya is apparently stronger than ever before. Last year, the two-time middleweight champion mentioned that the constant fighting and training had taken a toll on his body. He had planned to focus on recovery and self-care during an extended hiatus. Teammate Dan Hooker is here to testify that ‘The Last Stylebender’ is stronger than ever before.
Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker train at City Kickboxing, back in Auckland, New Zealand. Hooker recently sat down for a conversation on The Sporting News Australia. There he commented on Israel Adesanya’s current shape ahead of his upcoming showdown against Dricus Du Plessis.
He is just looking scary now… He’s hitting harder than he’s ever hit before. He’s got some kind of new strength and power… Obviously, he didn’t have the time to lift weights and focus on strength training. So yeah, for him to have some more time to add a bit more size to his frame, it has really positively impacted his performance.
Dan Hooker on The Sporting News Australia
Israel Adesanya decided to take an extended break following his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. The decision came after a grueling period where Adesanya was one of the most active fighters in the UFC. He competed in five title fights since the start of 2022. Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis will clash at UFC 305 this August. The fight will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
This has been highly anticipated due to the growing rivalry between the two middleweights. Adesanya has often criticized Du Plessis for his comments regarding African heritage in MMA. Meanwhile, Du Plessis has not shied away from responding, leading to a heated buildup to this fight. The winner is expected to face Robert Whittaker later this year, assuming Whittaker wins his upcoming bout at UFC 308.
Dricus Du Plessis defeated Robert Whittaker last year. There was significant hype for a bout with Adesanya, who was then the UFC middleweight champion. The fight was expected to happen soon after, but Du Plessis sustained a foot injury that delayed his return to the octagon.
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 (via X)Israel Adesanya recently uploaded a video of his training session on his YouTube channel. The fight is just a few days away and ‘The Last Stylebender’ is looking strong and agile.
My mind’s not even playing tricks on me as much but you know its normal when it comes. But I’m like ‘I know what I do’. And when I get in there I can’t wait to get in there and just feel cuz I trust my body, I trust my mind, I trust my spirit.
ISrael Adesanya via FREESTYLEBENDER
Adesanya said he does not care about the result, he cares about the work he did. He trusts that when it is time it will come. He believes in doing the work and the results would come naturally. The main event showdown is just a few days away and it will be interesting to see if Israel Adesanya becomes three-time UFC middleweight champion this August at UFC 305.
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