Israel Adesanya eyes superstardom against requested opponent at UFC 248

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, March 6, 2020 | 2 a.m.

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya remembers Dana White giving him a one-word answer late last year when he told his boss he wanted his first title defense to come against Yoel Romero.

“Nah,” Adesanya describes White as saying.

 “I think he said he didn’t want to do the fight because he’s coming off (two) losses,” Adesanya continued. “That’s fair enough but I asked for the fight because I understand what is at stake for myself.”

White’s response would have typically marked the permanent end of the discussion, at least if his near two-decade tenure as UFC president is any indication. He gets the final word, one that can be rather ironclad as it pertains to championship bouts and a policy not to place a challenger with two straight losses in such a spotlight.

It’s rare, if not unprecedented, that White would cave to the pressure of one of his fighters. But Adesanya himself is rare, if not unprecedented, with the ability he’s shown in the octagon.

The 30-year-old former professional kickboxer is unbeaten in 18 mixed martial arts fights and captured the UFC title less than two years after signing with the company. The Nigerian-born, New Zealand-residing fighter has immediately become one of the biggest combat-sports stars in the world among fight fans, but White and others believe he has the power to transcend the niche.

They believe Adesanya has the power to become the UFC’s next global superstar.

Adesanya, therefore, got his way. He’ll face Romero in the main event of the UFC 248 pay-per-view, which begins at 7 p.m. Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

“It doesn’t make sense,” White said of Adesanya vs. Romero at the last local card. “But you know what makes sense? Israel is such a badass that he wants to fight the guy that nobody else wants to fight.”

For years, White has struggled to lock down opponents for Romero, a 42-year-old former Olympic wrestler for his native Cuba. Known as the biggest and most devastating middleweight in the UFC, Romero is at a size if not stylistic advantage against everyone he faces.

And that’s exactly why Adesanya demanded to face him.

“I find the toughest guy and punch him in the face,” Adesanya said of his strategy for picking opponents.

Adesanya doesn’t think his legacy will be complete unless he beats all the top middleweights of his time. With top contender Paulo Costa, who beat Romero via unanimous decision last August, recovering from a biceps injury, Adesanya was unwilling to wait and instead saw an opportunity to check Romero off his list.

It’s a massive risk, which to answer White’s question, is about the only way it makes sense. Adesanya welcomes risk.

In his title fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 last October in Melbourne, Australia, most thought the biggest key for Adesanya would be avoiding the then-incumbent champion’s lethal right hand. Instead, Adesanya let Whittaker hit him with his usual fight-ending shot.

It allowed him to find his own opening, leading to a second-round knockout victory in front of more than 57,000 fans. It’s those types of dangerous strategies that Adesanya has paired with his showy striking that’s made him such a phenomenon in such a short amount of time.

“He’s great for the sport,” Romero said of Adesanya through a translator.

There’s no perfect comparison to Adesanya’s fighting style, though many mention seeing elements of former middleweight champion Anderson Silva and current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in his game. Adesanya has already defeated Silva, another subject of his callouts, via a lopsided unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 234 last year, and he has plans for Jones.

Adesanya and Jones have shared words on a couple occasions, and the former hinted that he wanted their potential mega-bout to take place at the currently under-construction Allegiant Stadium in 2021.

“Dana already knows, I already said that, everyone knows, but first things first,” Adesanya said as he looked up across the room at Romero during Thursday’s UFC 248 media day.

It may sound like big plans for someone who has never headlined a major card in Las Vegas before. Adesanya’s only previous fight locally was at the Pearl at the Palms in "The Ultimate Fighter: Undefeated" finale when he defeated fellow reality-show coach Brad Tavares by unanimous decision in July 2018.

But it’s been foolish to doubt any of Adesanya’ plans so far. Getting White to sign off on the improbable matchup with Romero is proof enough.    

“A lot is on the line here,” Adesanya said. “There’s a lot at stake.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.