Israel Adesanya, a former middleweight champion of the UFC, remains interested in UFC Africa after his defeat to Alex Pereira at UFC 281.
On November 13 in New York City at Madison Square Garden, Adesanya lost to Pereira.
It was just his second loss overall in his MMA career and his first defeat at the middleweight division.
Adesanya wants a quick rematch with Pereira so he can rewrite the history of their rivalry in combat sports.
At the press conference following the fight, UFC president Dana White made a suggestion that there might be a debut event in Africa. The promotion is considering having an event as early as next year in Nigeria and other countries.
As soon as Adesanya heard about White’s plan, he was eager to make a big impression on the UFC Africa show.
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Adesanya rejected the idea that the UFC Africa event wouldn’t be as popular without him and Kamaru Usman on the roster as champions.
“The hunter’s now the hunted. F*ck the belt,” Adesanya said. “It’s us. What we’ve done is etched in history forever. There are moments in history that will never be captured again. We’re still writing the book; this is not over.”
Adesanya, Usman, and Cameroonian heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou are three of the most prominent African-born athletes in the annals of combat sports.
While Usman is eager for an instant rematch of his own, Ngannou is anticipated to make a comeback the following year.
Adesanya is determined to compete on the card if White and the UFC move forward with their idea for an African-themed event, even if it means doing so without a title on the line.
