Israel Adesanya’s stunning knockout victory over old rival Alex Pereira has been made even more impressive by the UFC world champion’s stunning revelation that he seriously injured his knee just a week before the fight.
The New Zealand-based star took down the Brazilian with some ruthless right hands and hammer fists in the second round at UFC 287 on April 9, earning his first win over Pereira in four encounters.
But a few days earlier, he was writhing in pain on an exercise mat after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a sparring session gone horribly wrong.
Adesanya’s injury was captured on video, with the middleweight king providing a voiceover describing the shocking accident on his Youtube Channel.
This is when Adesanya was left screaming in pain after his leg gave way under him during a sparring session just days away from UFC 287
The middleweight champion’s sparring partner (right) hooked his leg around the boxer’s right knee as he threw him to the mat during a training session gone horribly wrong
His sparring partner hooks his leg behind the champion’s right knee as he throws him down and buckles the joint as he sinks to the mat, screaming in pain.
‘Damn! It was painful,” said Adesanya, as the footage shows him grinning on the ground shortly after the throw.
“I said, ‘It’s okay, it’s okay!’ – I just didn’t want anyone to panic.’
He points to a spot on the inside of his knee in the video and a bystander who came over to check on him is heard saying “MCL” as the champ groans as he tries to straighten his leg before eventually standing up.
“I should have stopped,” Adesanya said.
“I also remember the feeling – it was so hot. It felt hot, like a burning sensation.’
Incredibly, he continued to practice stand-up wrestling with the sparring partner right after he got hurt.
Adesanya lay down until a bystander came over and examined his knee and was heard saying ‘MCL’ as soon as the champion showed him where the injury was
He then received physiotherapy, ultrasound and treatment with magnets to speed up the healing process.
The medial collateral ligament connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (lower leg bone), preventing the leg from extending too far inward and also allowing the joint to rotate while remaining stable.
MCL injuries usually occur when the knee is hit on the outside or bent badly, and they often heal well without the need for surgery.
Sustaining a grade 1 ligament tear, as Adesanya did, is a huge blow to any UFC fighter, as it severely impairs their movement in the octagon, not to mention their ability to throw kicks and dodge blows.
Adesanya said withdrawing from battle never occurred to him as he is used to fighting while hurt.
‘I’ve been here before. My UFC debut, three weeks out, I did my right ankle.
“I remember calling the next day [a physiotherapist] and say, “Yo, I need to see you ASAP.” He had to re-injure it or hurt it.
Tearing the medial collateral ligament is a major blow to any fighter as it destabilizes the knee, leaving them vulnerable to further injury and making it difficult for them to move and kick the octagon – but it didn’t faze Adesanya when he Pereira decommissioned (pictured)
The NZ-based titleholder has already set his heart on his next opponent after his stunning second-round knockout in Florida
“I remember biting down on a towel and sitting there in pain, screaming as he massages my ankle where it’s not supposed to massage.”
The Nigerian-born octagon superstar is already planning his next fight and is desperate to take on South African middleweight title contender, Dricus du Plessis.
There has been a lot of bad blood between the pair after du Plessis accused Adesanya of not being a true African for leaving Nigeria for a life in New Zealand and saying he would be the first fighter to bring a world title to the continent.
“I am the African fighter in the UFC. Myself and Cameron [Saaiman, Du Plessis’ teammate], we breathe African air. We wake up every day in Africa,” he said.
“We train in Africa, we were born in Africa, we were raised in Africa. We still live in Africa, we train from Africa. That’s an African champion, and that’s who I will be.’
An irate Adesanya hit back on Wednesday when he repeatedly uttered racist slurs at du Plessis.
South African Dricus du Plessis (pictured) has infuriated Adesanya by claiming he is not a true African.
“I’m going to take him to goddamn school, in the Octagon and history,” Adesanya said.
“What he’s doing is divisive. You can’t know your history, I never questioned him as an African, because yes, you were born in Africa. South Africa.
‘Of course you are an African. I never wondered that. But who the f**k is this cracker to tell me who the f**k I am? Who the f**k Kamaru is, who the f**k Ngannou is? I’m like, are you stupid? As a product of colonization you’re trying to tell me who the hell I am.’
The word “cracker” is a term used to describe poor white people that many believe is an abbreviation of “whip cracker.”
While its origins are not clear, some believe it is a reference to white people who were involved in the slave trade.