Israel Adesanya slams Conor McGregor for saying he has most knockdowns in UFC title fight

Reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has refuted Conor McGregor’s recent claim of a significant UFC record. Last week, while celebrating the four-year anniversary of UFC 205, Conor McGregor took to Instagram to reminisce about his accomplishments. UFC 205 was the first-ever MMA event to held inside Madison Square Garden. The day was also special for the Notorious One as he defeated Eddie Alvarez to capture the UFC lightweight belt and become the first two-division champion in the promotion’s history.

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McGregor knockdowns: Israel Adesanya disputes Conor McGregor's claim

While sharing a picture from the memorable bout, Conor McGregor claimed that he also set the record for “the most knockdowns in a UFC title fight” on November 12, 2016. Adesanya, on the other hand, begs to differ. The Stylebender wasted no time in replying to Conor McGregor's post, writing: “2nd most knockdowns” accompanied by a wink emoji.

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Israel Adesanya, Conor McGregor dispute comes to the fore

Although the former UFC double champion claims that he registered five knockdowns against Alvarez, UFC records state that he only had three. This also refutes Conor McGregor’s claim, making him the fighter with the second-most knockdowns in a title fight. The first spot is being held by Israel Adesanya who managed four knockdowns when he took on Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in 2019.

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McGregor knockdowns: What’s next for Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor?

Israel Adesanya recently defended his title against Paulo Costa at UFC 253, where he came out victorious via a second-round TKO. He was then in talks to fight Robert Whittaker next year, but the bout was scrapped after The Reaper later withdrew from the event. Now, The Last Stylebender has agreed to move to the light heavyweight division where he’ll face champion Jan Blachowicz in a title match.

Conor McGregor, on the other hand, is set to make his much-awaited return on January 2021 where he’ll face Dustin Poirier in a rematch. Though the fight is yet to be made official, Dana White and company think that the two stars could lock horns at Fight Island, Abu Dhabi. McGregor and Poirier last clashed at featherweight in 2014 when The Notorious One TKOed The Diamond in the first round.

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Image Source: Israel Adesanya, Conor McGregor/ Instagram