Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes had us on the edge of our seats! The UFC 314 headliner was a nail-biter, with fans practically on their knees, cheering for their favorite fighter. Now, picture this! You’re watching Volkanovski fight, and you’re his close friend. Feeling stressed? That’s exactly what Israel Adesanya experienced when he witnessed the intense battle between two equally gifted athletes live at Kayesa Centre in Miami. Former two-time middleweight king ‘Izzy’ was there at the ringside with Kamaru Usman to support his friend and City Kickboxing teammate as he stepped inside the Octagon at 36 years of age to regain his lost glory.

Sharing his reaction on his YouTube handle, the Yoruba showed immense excitement as well as nervousness. As Volkanovski walked out to the Octagon, the atmosphere was electric — it hit Adesanya like a train and he declared that he would return to the Octagon soon. From the starting round, Adesanya was all locked in on his friend and it is safe to say that his restlessness was visible. What if Lopes found Volk’s chin? What if the dream shattered? And what if this was the Aussie’s final dance? The grim possibilities for Adesanya were immense!

Concussive shots and kicks from the duo electrified the arena and left the entire crowd awestruck by the fight. However, there were moments when it seemed that we were in for a repeat of UFC 298. Especially at the end of round 2 when Volk was dropped by the Brazilian against the cage with a powerful shot. But he recovered! The remaining three rounds felt like an immersive film with both men giving their all. And the moment of truth was finally here!

As Volkanovski was declared the winner via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46), Adesanya screamed at the top of his lungs as he celebrated the victory with former welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman. As the celebration settled, Adesanya emphasized that he was happy for his friend. “We love Miami two-time, baby! Beautiful man. The guy again—oh, he’s 35, over 35. Oh, he’s had two knockout losses, oh blah blah blah, man. But what are you going to say now? Yeah, I love it.”

Volk famously joined Izzy in the 2x champion club and also broke the infamous ‘over 35 curse’. For the unversed, the Aussie became the first man to win a UFC title fight over the age of 35 in weight classes between 125lbs and 155lbs. Izzy further added, “I love it when a guy like that—a guy who earns it—deserves it. He earns it, and he’s a great man and shows why he’s great in and out of the cage. So yeah, beautiful to watch. I’m inspired. I’m very inspired. From kickboxing to the UFC middleweight division to becoming a fanboy of Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya has been with his friend toe-to-toe!

And this wasn’t it. The duo even shared a heartwarming moment backstage after the event was concluded. Moreover, Izzy gave Volk a new nickname and one that was fitting: ‘Mr. Two-Time’. As already discussed, the Aussie and the Yoruba have both won their respective division straps on two separate occasions. And as the new champ walked off to fulfill the media obligations, Adesanya proudly shouted: “Make way for the King.”

All of this must have been surreal for Adesanya! Motivation is something that has become very necessary for ‘The Last Stylebender’ considering his three-fight losing streak as well as concerning updates from his coaches.

Israel Adesanya’s coach revealed bad news about his career

When you’re at the top of the MMA world and suddenly struck by a storm of losses, things can get difficult—you might even start contemplating retirement. And Israel Adesanya knows it pretty well. Losing three fights in a row has humbled Adesanya, and his last knockout defeat against Nassourdine Imavov was something that might have broken his will to get back inside the Octagon.

How do we know that? Well, those aren’t our words — they’re the words of his longtime coach, Eugene Bareman. While having a conversation with ‘Combat TV,’ the host asked for any info about Adesanya, to which Bareman replied, “Izzy is… uh, being—I don’t know what he’s doing next, but that’s a good place to be. Yeah, he’s just doing him.”

He further added, “I don’t know. It’s just—yeah if he was going to fight again, when he’s going to fight again. If he’s not, then… We’ve been blessed. I’ve been blessed. The world’s been blessed. The team’s been blessed. But it’s… yeah, it’s completely up to him.” 

Adesanya’s comeback is sort of uncertain for now, but one thing is certain, and that’s the fact that the former two-time middleweight champion might not leave the sport without any redemption. Given that, what are your thoughts on the City Kickboxing legends? State your opinion in the comments below.