Demetrious Johnson sees no incentive for Israel Adesanya to continue fighting.
Former middleweight champion Adesanya (24-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC) suffered his fourth consecutive loss when he was finished by Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night 271 this past Saturday in Seattle.
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Although Adesanya has no intention to retire, former UFC flyweight champion Johnson questions his reasons to continue.
“I feel like what made me so good in fighting was, one, that I viewed it as a job,” Johnson said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Two, I needed f*cking money, right? When you’re poor and you’re broke, you have a different mindset. … I’m not saying that now that he has money, his mindset has changed. But he’s fighting somebody else who’s trying to get to his level.
“So for me, I’m just like, ‘You’ve done everything. Just walk away from the sport.’ But I think that’s so hard for any professional athlete. When I see him fight, I’m like, ‘Dog, you don’t need to f*ckng fight.’ He’s still young. He’s only 36. But yeah, I was gutted.”
Johnson believes Adesanya, a two-time UFC middleweight champion with five title defenses in his first reign, has achieved everything and should just call it a career.
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“I would like to see him retire,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing else for him to do in mixed martial arts. I think he’s done everything, and you’re not even considering the kickboxing matches he’s had, as well. The man’s been on a grind. I think he deserves to relax and enjoy himself and find something else.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Demetrious Johnson to Israel Adesanya: You don’t need to fight!
