UFC 234: Israel Adesanya plots downfall of legendary Brazilian Anderson Silva in Melbourne
EXCITEMENT machine Israel Adesanya says he is no longer caught up in the hype of a career-defining bout against Anderson Silva at UFC 234 in Melbourne.
ISRAEL Adesanya couldn’t believe it at first.
But soon enough, the hype was real.
Anderson Silva — arguably the greatest fighter of all time — had accepted the challenge.
The emerging star of the sport and the former 11-time world champion would collide in Melbourne on a blockbuster pay-per-view UFC 234 card.
The prize? A guaranteed shot at the middleweight title, owned by Australian Rob Whittaker.
But as the weeks progressed, Adesanya is no longer caught up in the excitement of the career-defining bout on February 10.
“It’s sunk in ... it’s sunk to the bottom of the ocean and I’m kind of over it,” Adesanya said of his encounter with Silva at Rod Laver Arena.
“For the first two weeks I was like ‘wow, I’m fighting Anderson Silva’ but now, he gets to fight me. He gets the big opportunity. It’s an honour to fight me.”
Adesanya, 29, shot to prominence when he powered through Brad Tavares and Derek Brunson en route to his fourth-straight UFC victory.
Now a genuine contender, the “Stylebender” is plotting the downfall of the legendary Brazilian.
“There’s many ways this fight can unfold,” Adesanya said.
“It’s a complex fight, but it will all begin before we even engage in the clinch, before we even engage in striking, before we even step foot in the cage.
“Once we make eye contact, at a press conference or at the hotel, that’s when the fight officially begins. But I’m ahead of the game. I started at level two last time, I want to start at level three this time.”
Finishing Brunson in clinical fashion, Adesanya is now hunting another highlight reel finish.
Ask how he plans to defeat veteran Silva, Adesanya quipped: “How ever I want it to”.
“But what I want to do in there is have fun. I really want to have fun, no matter how the fight plays out.”
Should he claim what would undoubtedly be the biggest victory of his career, Adesanya has grand plans for the future.
They involved Sydneysider Whittaker and a title showdown, but the Nigerian-born, New Zealand-based Adesanya remains tight-lipped.
“I hold my cards close to my chest,” he said.
“When I went to Sydney I had a meeting with (UFC president) Dana White and they wanted me to headline the first card on ESPN. That was last weekend. I laid down my case of what I want to happen, and pretty much what I wanted to happen has happened.
“The rest is in motion. Sit tight, watch the fight and stay tuned for what happens next.”
Adesanya believes Whittaker will overcome American challenger Kelvin Gastelum in the main event at UFC 234, paving the way for a cracking Trans Tasman contest.
“He’s one of the toughest and one of the smartest, but I’m not like anyone else he’s ever fought,” Adesanya said of Whittaker.
“I just want to get past Anderson Silva first and then we’ll see what’s up with Robert or Kelvin.
“If I beat him (Silva), everything else is easy. I’ll get the belt and defend it a few times because beating Anderson will, in a way, be like beating my old self.”
Originally published as UFC 234: Israel Adesanya plots downfall of legendary Brazilian Anderson Silva in Melbourne
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