Israel Adesanya, the former UFC middleweight champion, shares a close bond with his City Kickboxing teammate, Alexander Volkanovski. The Nigerian-born, New Zealand-raised athlete is known for his unwavering support of his fellow teammates at City Kickboxing.
In a recent episode of ‘The Rock’ podcast, Adesanya discussed Volkanovski’s chances of becoming a double champion at UFC 294. This discussion comes against the backdrop of Adesanya’s preference for betting on underdogs in the highly anticipated rugby match in Paris.
Volkanovski gets Adesanya’s vote of confidence
Israel Adesanya, accompanied by his City Kickboxing teammates Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France, was present ringside when Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 284. When the bout concluded, Adesanya and Hooker were visibly astonished as Makhachev was announced as the winner by unanimous decision.
Volkanovski has stepped up on 12 days’ notice to fight Makhachev for the second time in 8 months. After his loss at UFC 284, Volkanovski defended his featherweight title for the fifth time against Yair Rodriguez. Charles Oliveira’s eyebrow injury forced him out of the anticipated clash at UFC 294, and “The Great” stepped in without any delay.
Israel Adesanya, in his recent appearance on The Rock podcast, showered praise on his teammate. The long-reigning featherweight champion has only suffered one loss in the UFC, and that loss did not occur in the featherweight division. Adesanya expressed his firm belief that “The Great” should have emerged victorious at UFC 284. Furthermore, he believes that Volkanovski would defy the betting odds in the UFC 294 rematch against Makhachev.
Adesanya also announced a self-imposed hiatus during the podcast. He recently lost the middleweight title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Strickland apparently secured a dominant unanimous decision against Adesanya, even dropping him in the first round. All scorecards read 49-46 in Strickland’s favor. With Adesanya seemingly out of the title picture, Dana White has declared the winner of the Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman matchup at UFC 294 as the next contender for the middleweight title.
Adesanya takes a page from Drake’s book with Rugby World Cup challenge
Israel Adesanya has shown immense faith in New Zealand’s rugby team. On the previous day, he surprised fans with a social media post with a screenshot. It confirmed a significant $20,000 bet by Adesanya, backing New Zealand to clinch victory over the top-ranked Irish team.
This match, not just any game, is a pivotal face-off in Paris. The Rugby World Cup 2023 is well underway. New Zealand versus Ireland promises high stakes and intense rivalry. Currently, the Irish team holds the title of world number 1 in rankings. Hence, Adesanya’s bet has caught the attention of many.
Drake, the acclaimed Canadian musician, is known for making high-stakes bets and sharing screenshots of his bets on social media. Notably, he has placed substantial bets on various UFC fighters, including Israel Adesanya. Additionally, Drake has been known to gift Rolex watches to fighters such as Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann after they won fights that he had placed bets on.
Adesanya on the Rock Podcast had already said that he would have bet big on Alexander Volkanovski if not for the UFC law banning it. In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding MMA fighter and coach, James Krause, fighters and their personnel are not allowed to bet on UFC fights.
During a recent appearance on the Rock Podcast, Adesanya stated that he would have placed a significant bet on Alexander Volkanovski if it weren’t for the UFC’s ban on betting. Following the controversy surrounding MMA fighter and coach James Krause’s betting activities, the UFC implemented strict regulations prohibiting fighters and their personnel from wagering on UFC fights to maintain the integrity of the sport.
Alexander Volkanovski is set to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. Israel Adesanya has shown unwavering confidence in the Australian fighter’s chances in the upcoming bout, expressing his strong belief in Volkanovski’s prospects.
What are your thoughts on this? Comment below!
