Israel Adesanya responds after Uriah Hall suggests he takes “easy fights”

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has responded to a recent criticism from top-15 middleweight contender Uriah Hall.

Hall is set to take on former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC Vegas 12 this Saturday night. Ahead of the fight, Hall took a shot at Adesanya, claiming the champion seeks out “easy fights.”

“Adesanya’s picking his fights,” Hall said during UFC Vegas 12 media day. “He sees what I see, he sees a hole in all these guys. He’s already picking [Jared] Cannonier, he’s looking for easy fights. Yeah, I said it.

“I know why he’s picking certain fights, but I’m dynamic, especially with the gym that I’m at right now, I’m focused,” Hall added, forecasting a future showdown with Adesanya. “Laser focused. It’s just a matter of time. I’m just going to play the politic card and just whoever the UFC needs me to beat, or whoever the UFC thinks can beat me and get to the top.”

It didn’t take long for Adesanya to catch wind of these comments, and he responded in vintage fashion, drawing on a famous Dave Chapelle bit.

I like him. Nice guy. But plz stfufe. pic.twitter.com/dBXV5RGFLO

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) October 29, 2020

“I like him,” Adesanya wrote. “Nice guy. But plz STFUFE.”

Uriah Hall will enter his main event showdown with Anderson Silva on a two-fight win-streak, having recently beaten solid foes in Bevon Lewis and Antonio Carlos Junior. Those wins were preceded by a stoppage loss to recent UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa.

Israel Adesanya, on the other hand, last fought in late December, when he defended the middleweight title with a second-round knockout win over Costa. That win was preceded by notable victories over Yoel Romero, Robert Whittaker, Kelvin Gastelum, Anderson Silva, and Derek Brunson. The UFC middleweight champ is currently unbeaten at 20-0.