Adesanya was once known for his brilliant use of feints, but in a recent interview with his podcast, he explained why he feels that weapon has faded from his game.
“Yeah, there’s certain parts I feel like my coaches have taken away from me and made me focus on other s**t, and again, this is not to disrespect them or anything,” Adesanya said. “I let them control the narrative because I trust them, they’re smart people.”
“It’s my own fault at the end of the day as well. So now it’s just about listening but also knowing what works for me and speaking up as well.”
Israel Adesanya blames coaches for killing the threat of his question mark kick
After weighing in on Friday, Israel Adesanya is set to step back into the cage this Saturday against Joe Pyfer.
Even with his recent losses, it’s hard to overlook Adesanya’s striking credentials. He remains one of the most skilled stand-up fighters ever to compete in MMA.
Lately, though, he’s felt the need to adapt, saying that one of his trademark moves – the question mark kick – isn’t catching opponents off guard like it once did.
“I do my thing but I also have to switch it up because my question mark kick isn’t landing the way it used to because all these c—- know when it’s coming. Their coaches warn them outside the cage,” Adesanya told UFC.com during fight week while doing a frustrated impression of his reaction to the coaches’ instructions. “I’ve switched up my game. I’ve tweaked things up and revised old moves.”
The key to making that move work is convincing opponents you’re going low before snapping it up high. We’ve seen him use it effectively in past fights.
This time around, Pyfer brings two clear dangers: heavy hands and solid grappling skills.
It was back in 2018 when Adesanya first landed a clean question mark kick before finishing Derek Brunson, who posed a similar threat profile at the time.
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