Israel Adesanya is considered to be one of the best contenders in the UFC in contemporary times. His journey from humble beginnings to the top of mixed martial arts has been nothing short of extraordinary.
On the other hand, Bradley Martyn has carved a niche for himself within the mixed martial arts. This is not necessarily for his feats within the ring, but rather for his bold claims and penchant for stirring controversy. Martyn’s assertions that he could overpower professional contenders have raised eyebrows and sparked debates across social media platforms.
In a recent revelation on the MightyCast podcast hosted by Demetrious Johnson, Adesanya shed light on an encounter with Martyn.
Johnson stated: “I look at Bradley Martyn as a gentleman who is looking for clout and he’s saying these things.”
Adesanya went on to respond: “When Jake fought Nate Robinson, I meet Jake Paul at the hotel and then he invites me to his house. I get there, crazy. This was during COVID times.”
“There’s a ring in the backyard and I got word through someone that, ‘oh, this guy is trying to get Izzy in the ring ‘ and I said, ‘nah, I’m just here to have fun, I ain’t doing none of that’. And it was him.”
“Some people aren’t even man enough to wash the jock [straps] we fight in. They’re not even man enough or worthy enough to step in the ring or in the cage with us and when they, ‘oh, how would I fare? How would I do?’ I’m like, ‘stop’.”
Several boxers have been publicly challenged by Martyn, who claims that his 260-pound body would be too much for anyone to handle. But Adesanya didn’t think the social media star was a competitor worth it.
Adesanya’s rivalry with Alex Pereira is well-documented. However, the champion took a moment to acknowledge Pereira’s contributions to the sport during his conversation with Demetrious Johnson.
Despite the animosity, Adesanya expressed his admiration for Pereira’s skills and character. He said: “I like Alex. It’s the ‘Poatards’ that they are f**king [motions to head], as usual. You know what they are, but yeah. I respect him and honestly, he’s a special fighter. He’s a special human being.”
“What he’s done in this game, in fighting, and for his life as well and I’ll always respect him and I’m grateful for those moments because, for me, it taught me so much about myself and where I can go.”
It has always been evident that Adesanya and Pereira have a great deal of respect for one another, despite their competition. The two-time middleweight champion also made a suggestion that a match with Sean Strickland would happen shortly.