UFC: Israel Adesanya thoroughly impressed with ‘gangster’ Conor McGregor’s 40-second win over Donald Cerrone
- Middleweight champion Adesanya says McGregor ‘brought a lot of attention to the game’ and he is ‘about to do the same’
- The pair are signed to the same management company – ‘when [McGregor] wins, I win’
Adesanya, who some would argue has assumed the promotion’s new torch-bearer role into 2020, was impressed with the Irish welterweight’s first-round technical knockout last weekend.
“He brought a lot of attention to the game at a time that it needed it. I’m about to do the same,” the 30-year-old (professional MMA record 18-0) said to EMG Access.
“Yee haw. That’s over,” said Adesanya, smiling. “You’re done, son. That’s right … Look, [he] sets up, shows the [left] hand … that’s nice. Just a little touch of the left hand.”
Although the pair are very unlikely to trade strikes in the Octagon – McGregor is usually a 155 pound lightweight whereas Adesanya is the 185 pound middleweight belt-holder – they are signed under the same Paradigm Sports Management agency and have shown a mutual respect for each other’s technical and showmanship ability.
