Israel Adesanya has been mostly silent since his upset loss to Sean Strickland in the UFC 293 headliner on Sept. 9.
That changed on Wednesday, when “The Last Stylebender” broke his silence in an interview on his YouTube channel. Though he appeared to be in good spirits, it was a subdued version of the former middleweight champion that appeared on camera.
“How am I feeling?” Adesanya said. “Quietly confident.”
Adesanya was a heavy favorite heading into the matchup with Strickland, who wasn’t the UFC’s first choice of title challenger. However, once the bell rang, it was Strickland who set the tone, dropping his opponent in the opening stanza and then controlling the action with straight punches and consistent forward pressure.