"I knew he was a good puncher. But his punches didn't turn out to be that strong. I also got stronger and before the fight I weighed almost 3 kg more than usual. I usually weigh 89 kg before the fight, but today I weighed 91.5 kg. I felt like I was winning. I was hitting the body well, he started to react to those punches. Dricus proved to be strong in body and spirit.
But I'm proud of the way I prepared for this fight. Losing hurts. I was unlucky today. I felt good in terms of stamina and he started to get tired. But he showed very serious psychological readiness, strong will. He's a stubborn guy. Dricus is an African champion. He will inspire a new generation of African fighters. Congratulations to him," said Adesanya at the press conference.
Recall, Adesanya lost by choke hold in the fourth round.