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Israel Adesanya’s longtime mentee believes City Kickboxing is in a great spot following the former champ’s departure.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya made a huge change to his camp after four consecutive losses in the Octagon.
Adesanya, a longtime leader at City Kickboxing, announced his split from the gym earlier this summer. While Adesanya didn’t go into details about the circumstances of his departure, he hinted that a fresh start was needed to get back on track in his career.
Adesanya leaves behind top talents like UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former title challenger Kai Kara-France, and fan favorite Dan Hooker in his wake. The former middleweight champ served as a leader and mentor to many fighters at City Kickboxing, making his departure all the more stunning.
One of the fighters that Adesanya mentored during his tenure shared a surprising take on his leave from the team.
Navajo Stirling reacts to mentor Israel Adesanya’s City Kickboxing split
During his UFC Serbia pre-fight press conference, UFC light heavyweight Navajo Stirling shared his reaction to Adesanya’s departure from City Kickboxing.
“I was happy for him,” Stirling said of Adesanya.
“Sometimes you do need a breath of fresh air, a new opportunity, new surroundings. I know what that does for a fighter. Everyone at the gym just wishes him nothing but the best.
“We’ve got loads of guys at the gym. Big names, even names you’ve never heard of. In terms of where the gym’s at, we’re doing so well. We’re in such a good spot right now at City Kickboxing. I’m a part of that. I’m now a big part of the next surging style of fighters coming through the gym. It’s going to be a time.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
As of this writing, Adesanya’s next gym move remains uncertain. He hasn’t fought since a loss to Joe Pyfer earlier this year at UFC Seattle.
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