Fans have called for the UFC to follow the lead of a Russian promoter and ban Israel Adesanya's "boring" fights.
Adesanya has faced increasing criticism for his recent fights during his time as UFC middleweight champion including his recent title defence over Jarod Cannonier. 'Style Bender' cruised to a points victory which was booed by many in the crowd and fans were also spotted leaving the arena early.
Even fighters have began to join fans in criticising Adesanya's lack of pursuit of a finish including former double-champion Henry Cejudo. In Russia recently, an MMA promoter for the country's most prominent organisation intervened during a fight and halted the action with just four rounds having taken place.
The fight took place between former UFC fighter Rashid Magomedov and former ACA title contender Ali Bagov in a lightweight tournament semi-final with the winner set to progress beyond to the final. However both men were disqualified by the organisation's kingpin and it was ruled as a no contest. Promoter Mairbek Khasiev then issued a statement explaining his actions and confirming he wanted action to take place.
Fans have now jumped into the comments after the events went viral on social media, comparing the situation to Adesanya's most recent fights. One fan wrote: "Dear Dana White, please do this to @stylebender. He has become a tap and run champion and sometimes not even that. Dear Alex Pereira, please end this boring run of Adesanya." Another agreed without naming Adesanya: "Need more of this. Especially in the UFC MW division when a certain someone is fighting."
Another fan called for the promoter to be present at Adesanya's next fight: "Where was this guy during Adesanya’s last title defence?" One fan believed Adesanya would fear action after the events that unfolded: "Izzy is quaking with the frosted tips." Another fan concluded: Adesanya and other 'point' guys jumping around, decisionators, would be cut I guess."
What have you made of Israel Adesanya's recent fights? Let us know in the comments section below
Adesanya is without a stoppage in five fights dating back to 2020, when he knocked out Paulo Costa in a middleweight title defence. Despite criticism, Adesanya has lost just one fight in his career and is currently the UFC's second highest-earner behind only Conor McGregor after signing a lucrative new deal.
It is expected Adesanya's next fight will be against Pereira who was the first person to knock the Nigerian out cold, which could see a more intense rivalry. Middleweight prospect Joseph Holmes has also branded his rival "boring" but is understanding of his fighting style.
“He is definitely a boring fighter,” Holmes said of Adesanya to Low Kick MMA. “I’m not really interested in guys who’re able to go five minutes, it’s perfect. I commend that, lot of respect for that. But wanting to go five five-minute rounds is not fun. Nobody wants to see that. I’m just the type of fighter that looks for a finish, I start the fight expecting a finish. That’s what I like to watch."
