Israel Adesanya hypes up his ground game: ‘Khabib isn’t the only one who can maul people’

Israel Adesanya says his ground game is one of the best in mixed martial arts although no one has really seen it.

Adesanya, who is the current UFC middleweight champion, came from a kickboxing background and says he takes offense to boxers saying they are the best fighters out there. He says MMA fighters are the top because of the fact they have to work the ground game as well as other martial arts.

“I could have done that in kickboxing, but I know in my heart, my soul, if I faced up against a guy with a different style, a judo guy, jiu-jitsu guy in the streets…who’s going to break it up in the clinch? They’re throwing leg kicks at me and if I don’t know how to check a leg kick, what’s going to happen?,” Adesanya said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show (via MMA Mania). “I never want to feel vulnerable in any situation. I never want to feel like any man can checkmate me in any position. So I have to humble myself and go back to the drawing board and learn and study and hone your craft of fighting in all aspects.”

Israel Adesanya says he has been working his ground game and knows he is good at it. He went on to say Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t the only person who can maul people.

“You haven’t even seen my ground game yet, just bits and pieces,” Adesanya said. “You haven’t seen my top game. Khabib isn’t the only who can maul people.”

Currently, Israel Adesanya is without a fight after beating Robert Whittaker at UFC 243. There are rumors he may fight Yoel Romero next as he wants to prove he can stuff the takedowns and is more than just a striker.

Do you think Israel Adesanya would be able to maul people on the ground like Khabib Nurmagomedov? Sound off in the comment section, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/3/2019.