Israel Adesanya has admitted he burst into tears following his unanimous decision victory over Jarod Cannonier.
The UFC middleweight champion will return to defend his crown against former two-time kickboxing rival Alex Pereira at UFC 281 this weekend at Madison Square Garden. Adesanya has faced heavy criticism for his recent performances at 185lb, having failed to secure a stoppage in his last three fights winning them all by comfortable decision.
He came under heavy fire for his under-par display against unsuccessful challenger Cannonier in July, which saw UFC fans threaten to stop buying pay-per-views for his contests. Adesanya has revealed he was upset with his performance last time out, particularly after pressuring himself to put on a big display on International Fight Week.
