Back to the Top News Newsfeed

A humble Israel Adesanya reveals his true character after failed pursuit of glory

LAS VEGAS — There were the 20 consecutive wins, the interim title after 14 months in the UFC, the triumphant knockout victory over his arch-rival before more than 50,000 fans in a stadium he once watched fights from in the upper deck, and so much more.

In some ways, though, this was Israel Adesanya’s finest hour.

The UFC middleweight champion came up short in his bid to become just the fifth double champ in the promotion’s history when he dropped a unanimous decision to Jan Blachowicz on Saturday in their match for the light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 259 at Apex.