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Israel Adesanya says UFC 253 coronavirus lockdown ‘throws it back’ to his China fighting days

  • City Kickboxing team living and training full time at their Auckland gym, giving new meaning to the term ‘fight camp’
  • ‘It throws it back to how it was in China; just the simple things. All I had in my mind was the pursuit of greatness,’ says UFC middleweight champ

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Israel Adesanya celebrates after defeating Yoel Romero in their UFC middleweight championship fight during UFC 248. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

The Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland has forced the team at City Kickboxing to take drastic measures to ensure its four fighters set to feature at UFC 253 next month can continue their preparations unhindered.

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On Wednesday, featherweight Shane Young and lightweight Brad Riddell were confirmed to join teammates Kai Kara-France and headliner Israel Adesanya on the September 26 card, where the middleweight champion will defend his crown against Paulo Costa.

All four have been living and training full time at the renowned central Auckland gym, along with head trainer Eugene Bareman and a variety of sparring partners, giving new meaning to the term “fight camp”.

“It’s beautiful because right now we are all together, hotted up, locked down at the gym,” Adesanya said. We are living the simple life; wake up in the gym, eat, train, have a nap, wake up, train again, shower with the boys, sleep.”

Last week, the New Zealand government announced a complete lockdown for the Auckland region until at least August 26, after a host of new cases were discovered in the community to end a 102-day streak without a Covid-19 positive.

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Far from an inconvenience, Adesanya says he’s savoured the time away from outside distractions, which are becoming increasingly difficult for the superstar to avoid in light of his soaring fame.

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