In a recent encounter, Cristiano Ronaldo was heard discussing Alexander Volkanovski with Israel Adesanya. This conversation took place following Volkanovski’s tough knockout by Islam Makhachev last weekend.
Adesanya was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the highly anticipated bout between heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
Currently residing and playing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo had the opportunity to meet former UFC champion Adesanya at a Champions Gala event last Saturday. The five-time Ballon D’or winner engaged in a conversation with Adesanya, with Volkanovski’s name being brought up.
In a video clip, Ronaldo can be heard mentioning, ‘I sent a message to Volkanovski.’
Adesanya then responded by saying, ‘Volk? Oh, he’s good. He’s good.’
Despite the muffled audio, Ronaldo’s care for the Australian UFC star is evident. Also, Adesanya seems appreciative of the footballer’s attention.
This concern from Ronaldo comes in the wake of Volkanovski’s candid revelation about his mental health after the staggering knockout defeat to Makhachev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski was visibly emotional during the press conference and spoke about the immense pressure he had been under in the preceding months.
After taking some time to process the loss, Volkanovski released a heartfelt video update. He reassured his fans that he is ‘OK’.
During the event, Ronaldo also had a conversation with the heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. Fury expressed his admiration for Ronaldo, stating:
“Cristiano you are the greatest footballer that has ever lived, and I mean that. I am a big fan. I watched you at United the first time, the second time and all your time at Real Madrid.”
The Champions Gala was graced by an array of legendary figures from the world of combat sports, including Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Israel Adesanya, Chuck Liddell, Lenox Lewis, Oscar de la Hoya, and Oleksandr Usyk.
Since his monumental £172 million move to Al Nassr, Ronaldo has had ample opportunities to attend high-profile fighting events hosted in Saudi Arabia.
In an exciting development, Fury and Usyk came face-to-face in Saudi Arabia after finalizing a contract for an undisputed world heavyweight title clash later this year. The highly anticipated bout is scheduled to take place in Riyadh on December 23.
Despite a history of exchanging verbal jabs, the two champions unexpectedly embraced each other. Usyk even lifted up his opponent.