Israel Adesanya is willing to wait for as long as he has to for a shot at middleweight gold.
Adesanya took on Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 234 last night (Feb. 9). The action was held inside the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. “The Last Stylebender” earned a unanimous decision victory in a fun three-round headliner.
Adesanya Waiting For His Title Opportunity
UFC 234 was supposed to feature a 185-pound title bout. Champion Robert Whittaker was set to defend his title against Kelvin Gastelum. Whittaker was forced to pull out due to a hernia in his abdomen. Adesanya vs. Silva was a number one contender bout. “The Last Stylebender” told reporters that he will wait for his shot at gold (via MMAFighting.com):
“In the long term, I’m the No. 1 contender. I’m the guy fighting for the belt. I don’t care. Kelvin or Rob, whoever it is. I’m fighting for the belt. Whoever has the belt, because I see Kelvin walking around with that belt and I don’t know who gave it to him. I’m fighting for the belt next — that’s all I know. I did my job, I showed up to work. I can wait for however long I need to, because I’ve done so much for the company. I’ve played my part. And I’m the No. 1 contender. ‘Jacare’ [Souza] can fight Kelvin. Oh, they already fought already. Get a rematch — I don’t care. I showed up to work, that’s all I know.”
Adesanya certainly appears to be in UFC president Dana White’s good graces. White said that Adesanya has all the tools to be a star in the making.
