Yahoo Finance 'Just silly': UFC fans stunned by fighter's cocky weigh-in act
Undefeated MMA star Israel Adesanya had his corner bring him a pizza on stage after he weighed in five pounds light for his light heavyweight bout against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259.
The enigmatic 31-year-old was well shy of the 205-pound weight limit, having said earlier in the week that he would have been surprised to even nudge the the 200-pound mark.
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Adesanya weighed in at 200.5, with Blachowicz tipping the scales right on the 205 limit, even suggesting he could be as high as 220 for the fight itself.
However his Nigerian-New Zealand opponent was absolutely untroubled by the game-playing at the weigh-in, questioning the wisdom of having extra weight for its own sake.
“It’s just silly to me when people decide to go ‘add more muscles’ to their frame that they’re not used to over the years they’ve been working this game,” Adesanya told ESPN.
“For me, I just do this thing different. I want to bring it back to the rawness of martial arts technique. So, don’t worry about weight, don’t worry about all that.”
Adesanya would be the lightest fighter to hold the light heavyweight championship if he defeats Blachowicz, and also has the chance to become the fifth UFC fighter to hold two division championships concurrently.
Of the previous four fighters to achieve the feat (Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo), none did so undefeated, as Adesanya remains.
It's not the first time Adesanya has brought snacks to a weigh-in to show off his lean figure, having weighed in in full clothes and carrying a box of donuts back in 2015.
Throwback... 🍕 pic.twitter.com/Ts1jBVJ5by
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) March 5, 2021
Adesanya is also looking to eventually fight Jon Jones, his archrival and the former light heavyweight champion.
Jones is now competing at heavyweight and will fight the Stipe Miocic-Francis Ngannou winner later this year for that belt. It’s not out of the question that Adesanya could fight Jones for the heavyweight title if he wins it.
That would probably make him the richest fighter in UFC history, if he pulls it off.
Conor McGregor's absurd payday after $300 million whiskey sale
UFC megastar Conor McGregor's story from rags to riches is well documented but his latest business deal has catapulted his wealth into the stratosphere.
McGregor launched his Proper No. Twelve whiskey business around the same time he was fighting Floyd Mayweather back in 2018.
The popularity of the whiskey took off and was even displayed on the canvas during the boxing rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
The whiskey company's sales skyrocketed as McGregor became the face of the company through his next three fights in the UFC. Becles already owned a 49 per cent stake of Proper No. Twelve.
But tequila giant Jose Cuervo, along with its parent company Becles, have recently bought the remaining 51 per cent stake to take full ownership.
Despite the deal, the figures surrounding the purchase from Eire Born Spirits - the company set up by McGregor - have not been released.
“On February 23, 2021, the Company provided notice of the exercise of its call option to acquire 51 per cent of the equity interests of EBS," Becles said in a statement.
“We expect to announce further details upon the closing of the transaction.”
However, the deal leaves McGregor's involvement and role as the face of Proper No. Twelve uncertain.
Additional reporting from Riley Morgan
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