Israel Adesanya (image via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Israel Adesanya failed in his bid to become the UFC’s latest champ-champ. But, following his loss to Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, the middleweight champion sounded pretty upbeat.

Adesanya challenged the light heavyweight champ in the card’s main event. The feared striker bested Blachowicz in many exchanges, but the champion turned to his wrestling and grappling and recorded a decision win.

After the loss, which was the first of Adesanya’s MMA career, the 31-year-old said this (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“Losses are part of life. Losses are something I deal with occasionally. Just this is my first one in MMA. As I say, it is what it is. If I was going to lose to anyone, what better guy to lose to than a guy like Jan?”

“(He’s) a classy champion, a cool dude, a very nice guy – a guy who has a great story in himself. On his way to getting cut from the company, comes back and then dominates and becomes the light heavyweight champion and then hands this guy, a future legend, his first loss. Yeah, if I was going to lose to anyone, I’m glad I lost to him.”

In addition, the accomplished kickboxer also said this.

“(I have) no regrets,” Adesanya said. “Like I said, I don’t know. I feel like the boxing model has made it a bad thing to lose. Yeah, it sucks losing. Don’t get me wrong. But it’s not like the end of the world. Like I said, I’ve lost before in the past. … Right now, me and my team, we’re just excited to get home and work on certain little details.”

With Saturday’s loss, Adesanya’s MMA record now stands at 20-1. Blachowicz moved his to 28-8.