Adesanya insists the referee's intervention was premature and says he was 'waiting for Poatan to get tired'

Alex Poatán knocked out Israel adesanya No. UFC 281 (Photo: Twitter/UFCEspañol)

After more than three years and five successful defenses of the belt, the reign of Israel adesanya in middleweight (up to 83,9kg) of Ultimate came to an end last Saturday (12), when the Nigerian was knocked out by Alex Poatán in the fifth round of the main fight of UFC 281. For the former champion, however, the result would be different if referee Marc Goddard let the fight go on for longer.

Although he exempts referee Marc Goddard from blame, Israel adesanya He once again assured, in his participation in the “MMA Hour” podcast, on the North American website “MMA Fighting”, that he was completely lucid at the time of the interruption. The Nigerian pointed to an injury to the perineal nerve, caused by Poatan's kicks to his leg, as a determining factor in the defeat.

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“I don’t blame the referee. Marc (Goddard) did a good job, but you see when I got up, I was fine. I was lucid. I wasn't shaken, shaken. I was hit against the railing and my thought was: 'escape, sideways, either to the left or right'. I went to the right and tripped, not because I was swayed, but because of my foot. Do you know the perineal nerve? (…) At some point during the fight, I tried to move and do you know when your leg trips and accidentally drags it on the ground? It happened a few times during the fight. I wondered if there was something wrong with my leg and remember that was it. It had never happened to me before, but I knew what it was. I think the referee saw me receiving the blows, stumbling and decided to stop. But it wasn't about the blows, I swear to you. I have no reason to lie. It was because of the damage he (Poatan) caused to my leg”, claimed the former champion.

Still according to Adesanya, his intention was to wait Alex Poatán get tired of hitting and go on the offensive.

“I was thinking, 'OK, stay there, don't move anymore and let his gas run out. I was waiting for him to give the hard blows, so I lowered my head so I could see his arms and legs. It was everything I needed to see. I knew where his head was. So I stayed there moving. For the referee, after two clean hits, a stumble and me standing there looking down, he thought it would be safer to stop. I was very disappointed. I was waiting for him to get tired so I could do my work. I was going to take him down and hit him again,” he finished.

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