Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has hit back at critics labelling him ‘washed’ following his third consecutive defeat against Nassourdine Imavov, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerian-New Zealander, who has lost four of his last five fights in the UFC, including three by stoppage, responded to detractors during a YouTube ‘Ask Me Anything’ session.
“They call me washed, but how are you going to call me washed when you haven’t even been in laundry? You haven’t even gotten dirty. What have you done?” the 35-year-old fired back at his critics.
‘The Last Stylebender’ looked in control during the first round of his recent bout against Imavov but lost momentum in the second round before suffering a TKO defeat.
When questioned about his future title aspirations, Adesanya maintained his characteristic confidence despite the recent setbacks.
“Do I have a title shot in mind for the future? No! When I got to the UFC, I never chased the belt. I stand on that. I never chased the belt. I expected it,” Adesanya said.
“I expected to be champion… I expected to get to this point that I wanted to get to because of the work that I put in and my belief in myself, my mindset. I knew with everything that I was going to do, I was going to get there. I expected it.”
The former champion’s recent slump began with his submission loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August 2024, followed by two more stoppage defeats, marking a stark contrast to his earlier dominance in the division.
Despite this downturn in form, Adesanya, who built his reputation through successful careers in boxing and kickboxing before transitioning to MMA, has vowed to return stronger, demonstrating the resilience that has characterised his combat sports journey.
Source: www.punchng.com
