Over the weekend (Sat. February 9, 2019) Israel Adesanya and Anderson Silva put on a thrilling three-round striking battle in the main event of UFC 234. Adesanya was able to best the 43-year-old former middleweight king via unanimous decision. It’s believed “Stylebender’s” next fight could very well be for 185-pound gold.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, “The Spider” was extremely impressed with the young Nigerian’s skills inside the cage. He offered Adesanya some great advice after the fight (via MMA Junkie):
“Israel is very fast, he’s young and he has a great future inside the UFC,” Silva said. “I talk to Israel about some things, ‘Please, keep straight and don’t lose your focus, because you have amazing talent. Just keep doing.’
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But I’m very impressed because it was two generations inside the cage. It was a great show for everyone. I’m so happy.”
The Brazilian has a tremendous amount of respect for the young 185-pound contender, and is rooting for him to eventually capture the division’s title:
“I’m very impressed because Israel gave me a good challenge inside the cage,” Silva said. “For a long time I don’t feel the same challenge in my life. I’m very impressed. I respect Israel. He’s a great guy and has a future in this sport and hopefully he comes to fight for the belt and win.”
Do you think Adesanya will eventually capture middleweight gold?
