Getty Israel Adesanya & Jared Cannonier
A-list Hollywood actor Chris Pratt was not a fan of middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s performance at UFC 276 on July 2.
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Jurassic World” star was in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and he had one of the best seats in the house for “The Last Stylebender’s” fifth 185-pound title defense.
However, it was a less-than-thrilling affair. Adesanya took on Jared Cannonier in a stand-up battle that went all five rounds. But by the fifth frame, fans were leaving the arena in droves, which rarely happens during a UFC headlining act.
Regardless, The Last Stylebender successfully notched the defense, earning the judges’ nods 49–46, 49–46 and 50–45.
Pratt was featured on the UFC post-fight show, and he gave his take on what he saw inside the Octagon. “I’m gonna say this as humbly as I can, as a guy who never stepped in the Octagon,” Pratt said via Bloody Elbow. “I don’t know this game, I’m just an actor. But I’m not a fan, man. I’m not a fan of coming out, like, all that talk and then just kind of putting on a little bit of a pitter-patter.”
“I’m like, ‘Come on, man! Cash on that!’ You’ve got to cash that promise of being so bada**.”
Prior to the fight, Pratt picked Cannonier to win. “I’m going with Cannonier,” he said. “I’m betting with my heart.”
Adesanya Said Cannonier Adjusted Well to His Style, Reacted to the Crowd’s Displeasure With His Fight
In what Adesanya said was an “off-night,” he told the media at the UFC 276 post-fight press conference that he still “f*****” Cannonier up.
“And still, I still f***** him up,” Adesanya said via MMA Fighting. “It was in the fight, maybe when I couldn’t find my power shots, my kicks. … He was adjusting well. It wasn’t just me versus him. It was him versus my team.”
And when he was asked about the crowd’s reaction to the contest, The Last Stylebender said: “F*** them. They’ve been here since 3 p.m., they’re all drunk, they don’t know what real fighting is. I’ve said this, the greats, they all get to this point.”
Adesanya Compared the Crowd Booing Him to Other Fighters Like Georges St-Pierre & Floyd Mayweather
The Last Stylebender isn’t the only high-profile fighter to draw boos from fans. Combatants like former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and boxing great Floyd Mayweather turned in uninspiring performances at times as well.
And that’s what Adesanya pointed out while speaking with the media post-fight.
“GSP, people would boo him, and I’m like, ‘What the f*** are you guys watching?” Adesanya said. “You dumb f****. [Muhammad] Ali, Floyd Mayweather, same thing. You get to this point where, like, you’re so great, people just want to see you fall. They just want to see you fall, no matter what. If it’s not like a show-out, spectacular performance, then it’s like, ah, he’s not even that good.
“But trust, Jared knows I’m a good fighter. He knows I’m a great fighter, and I gave him the same credit as well.”
Adesanya remains unbeaten as a middleweight, improving his professional mixed martial arts record to 23-1. He’ll likely battle the man who knocked him out in kickboxing next, Alex Pereira.