UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has shockingly revealed that he hasn’t actively tried to bulk-up ahead of his light heavyweight title clash at UFC 259 on the weekend.
READ MORE: (Photo) UFC star coughs up blood following COVID-19 battle and hints at early retirement
The unbeaten pound-for-pound great is set to make his light heavyweight debut on Sunday morning when he will face-off against champion Jan Blachowicz.
Looking to become only the fifth fighter in the UFC’s history to hold two belts simultaneously, a win at UFC 259 would see the Nigerian-born striker join elite company.
After already holding the middleweight title in a division that has an upper weight limit of 185lb, Adesanya will soon compete in a class that’s 20lb heavier.
Despite the already mammoth task of beating the notoriously heavy-hitting Blachowicz, shockingly, speaking in a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Adesanya has admitted he could weigh-in closer to the middleweight limit.
“Don’t be surprised if I weigh in at 193 [pounds].”
Even though he’s preparing for a light heavyweight fight, @stylebender says he’s keeping “the same energy” and not changing his fight week routine ahead of #UFC259 (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/aFb5hW05Yu
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 2, 2021