Confident Adesanya hits Las Vegas for battle against Blachowicz
He will make Nigerians proud, says father
NIGERIAN born, New Zealand- based UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, arrived in Las Vegas, U. S. beaming with confidence ahead of his battle against light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz, at UFC 259, this weekend. A victory for the Nigerian will make him a two- weight world champion.
While Adesanya hails from Odogbolu, a community in Ogun State, his opponent, Jan Blachowicz, is a native of Cieszyn, a border town in southern Poland on the east bank of the Olza River.
Israel’s father, Femi Adesanya, told The Guardian yesterday from his base in Auckland that the UFC middleweight king was in good shape for the battle of Las Vegas.
“Israel is battle ready,” the senior Adesanya said. “He is already in Las Vegas and I am confident he will do us proud.”
Unlike in the past, when the senior Adesanya, his wife, and other members of his family were always present at the ringside, drumming support for their son, this weekend’s battle of Las Vegas will be different.
Since the outbreak of COVID- 19 pandemic, the family members have been watching Israel’s fight on television.
“We are not going to Las Vegas because spectators are not allowed at the event,” the senior Adesanya said in a message to The Guardian.
MEANWHILE, Paulo Costa has claimed he was drunk during his humiliating UFC 253 loss to Israel Adesanya.
Costa is claiming that a ‘ sober Costa’ is still undefeated after insisting that he was feeling the effects of a bottle of wine on the eve of the fight.
The Brazilian, 29, entered his middleweight title bout with the champion having not suffered defeat in his 13 fights in mixed martial arts, presenting the biggest challenge to Adesanya to date.