Israel Adesanya and Henry Cejudo recently shared a significant and emotional moment while appearing together on Cejudo`s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, co-hosted by Kamaru Usman.
The history of tension between the two accomplished fighters dates back several years, specifically to September 2020 at UFC 253. Following his successful middleweight title defense, Adesanya had a tense interaction with Paulo Costa’s corner man, Eric Albarracin, who is a close friend and coach of Cejudo. This incident sparked public criticism from Cejudo, which prompted a strong verbal response from Adesanya at the time.
Since that period, both athletes have experienced notable shifts in their careers. Adesanya has navigated losing, regaining, and then once again losing the UFC middleweight championship. Cejudo, who returned from retirement, has faced challenges and is reportedly considering retirement again, particularly after a recent loss where he suffered a severe eye poke.
Towards the conclusion of their conversation on the podcast, Cejudo took the opportunity to offer an apology to Adesanya for their past conflict.
“Thanks, Israel,” Cejudo said. “Thanks, man. I f*cking hated on you like you wouldn’t believe because haters are your biggest fans and what you’ve been able to do not being a f*cking wrestler, to me that’s impressive. Coming from the wrestling background, 85 percent of all champions have all come from the sport of wrestling, so what you’ve been able to do, f*ck, congratulations. I don’t know if it’s too late to say I’m sorry?”
Adesanya received Cejudo’s apology positively, sharing a laugh with him.
“I only got salty because I was, like, ‘Man, we were cool in Australia. Why’d he start hating on me?’” Adesanya explained. “And then I was a little bit maybe salty, but for me, I respect you because of your game. Your mind. I see the way you fight, I see the way you operate, and, man, one of the best ever. So thank you for saying that. And no need for apologies, it’s already been water under the bridge. I don’t hold on to grudges unless it pays to be petty, but this doesn’t, so I love you.”
Lightening the mood after the heartfelt exchange, Cejudo humorously remarked on the emotional atmosphere.
“You guys got some tissue?” Cejudo quipped.
The discussion brought together three of combat sports` highly decorated figures: Adesanya (two-time UFC Middleweight Champion), Cejudo (Olympic wrestling gold medalist, two-division UFC champion), and Usman (former UFC Welterweight Champion with a record win streak in his division). Despite their illustrious histories, all three have recently faced setbacks, each losing their last few fights – a point Cejudo didn`t hesitate to joke about.
