Israel Adesanya’s manager Tim Simpson believes the UFC middleweight champion is ready to make the move up to the heavyweight division of the sport.
“He’s mentioned he wants to go back up to 205. Obviously, the last time he came up short. But I think he would be very comfortable in that division again if that’s what he wants to do,” Simpson told MMA Junkie.
“It’s really up to him and Eugene [Bareman, Adesanya’s head coach at City Kickboxing] on the athletic side. But I think he has business he wants to attend to at 185 first. He says he wants to fight everybody of his era in that weight class, which he almost has done.
“He wants to go down as the greatest of all time in that division, and there’s opportunity to stay there and keep fighting. But the door’s open to light heavyweight, even heavyweight. He’s had success at heavyweight in kickboxing, too.”
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However, before making such a move, Adesanya has to get through Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Back when Adesanya was fighting for glory kickboxing, he lost to Pereira, twice. The second loss was a devastating knockout, and Adesanya’s last before he moved into MMA. Tim Simpson believes that Adesanya is at peace with those losses.
“I believe him when he said he made peace with what happened,” Simpson said
“It’s easy to be frustrated with the way the second one ended. When you watch the first fight, he won the first fight. It was a terrible decision. He won that fight the first time.
“Then the second one, he won Round 1, a 10-8 in Round 2, he was winning Round 3 and got caught – fair play to Alex. I think in his heart, it’s not like, ‘That guy’s better than me.’ He did lose both fights, but I don’t feel there’s a chip on his shoulder about this guy.
“He wants to settle it, certainly shut some mouths, but it’s not something that’s been eating at him for years, like, ‘I’ve got to get Pereira back.’ He was happy never fighting Pereira.”
Anthony Joshua prostrates before Governor Abiodun during Ogun visit
British-Nigerian boxing champion Anthony Joshua recently paid a courtesy visit to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, during his trip to Nigeria.
In a heartfelt display of respect for Yoruba culture, Joshua took to social media to share a moment where he fully prostrated to greet the governor, embodying the Yoruba tradition of humility and reverence.
The image quickly went viral, resonating deeply with many Nigerians who admired his pride in his heritage.
Joshua, whose roots trace back to Sagamu in Ogun State, has long celebrated his Nigerian background despite achieving global recognition in the boxing world.
His connection to his heritage has remained a core part of his identity, and this visit further solidified his bond with the country.
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The meeting took place at the Governor’s Office in Abeokuta, where Governor Abiodun and his team warmly welcomed the boxing champion.
He wrote: “Today, we had the distinct honour of welcoming @anthonyjoshua, the world-acclaimed boxing champion and a proud son of Ogun State, to our office during his courtesy visit.
“Anthony Joshua’s remarkable achievements in the world of boxing continue to inspire not only the people of Ogun State but also millions across the globe. His dedication, discipline, and unwavering commitment to excellence are values we hold dear as a state.
“This visit is a testament to the bond we share as a people and our collective pride in the success stories that emerge from Ogun State. We remain committed to supporting our talents and creating an environment that nurtures greatness in all spheres of life.
“Together, we celebrate Anthony Joshua’s accomplishments and look forward to more victories as he continues to make Ogun State proud.”
Haaland scores as Man City beat Leicester 2-0
Man City’s second win in 14 games across all competitions meant they climbed two spots to fifth place in the standings with 31 points, 11 behind leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand. Leicester remain in the danger zone in 18th place.
Savinho netted his first goal for City in the 21st minute when he pounced on a rebound from Phil Foden’s long shot after Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk pushed the ball into his path. The Brazilian fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
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Haaland, who has just two goals in eight league games in his worst stretch of his Premier League career, doubled City’s lead in the 74th minute when he headed home a looping cross from Savinho, who latched onto a pass from Kevin de Bruyne.
Their victory was far from a walkover, however.
Leicester fans screamed for a penalty early on when Jamie Vardy found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from a counter-attack. Ortega brought Vardy down in the box but Man City were saved by the offside flag.
Josko Gvardiol nearly cost Guardiola’s team a first-half goal with a disastrous header back to Ortega that was intercepted. City’s disorganised back line saw Facundo Buonanotte clatter a shot off the bar minutes later.
Leicester had another glorious chance early in the second half when Vardy headed into the box and James Justin got a touch on it that looked headed into the back of the net before Manuel Akanji cleared it off the line.
Nottingham Forest rise to second after 2-0 win at Everton
Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying side are quickly turning into the story of the season with stellar showings that are threatening to disrupt the top-flight’s elite.
With Arsenal not in action until Wednesday, victory at Goodison Park guaranteed finishing the day just a place behind leaders Liverpool, who travel to West Ham later on Sunday (kick-off 17:15 GMT).
Striker Chris Wood was involved in both of his side’s goals, netting a delightful finish for his 11th league goal of a fruitful campaign, before feeding Morgan Gibbs-White for the captain to coolly convert in the second half.
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New Zealander Wood had given the Everton defence a couple of warning signs when he fired a long-range volley wide and flicked a header over, but made no mistake when exchanging headers with Anthony Elanga before producing a lofted finish over the stranded Jordan Pickford.
At the other end, Armando Broja was given his first Toffees start and showed quick feet on the edge of the area but drilled wide, while Ramon Sosa should have doubled Nottingham’s lead before half-time when played through, but the Paraguayan sent his shot the wrong side of the post.
Gibbs-White made sure of the points just after the hour mark, cutting inside and firing home to lift Nottingham up to being Liverpool’s closest title challengers at the halfway stage.
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