Adesanya's UFC title reign still lacks something special

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Israel Adesanya has the otherworldly fighting ability and the personal charisma necessary to become mixed martial arts' next crossover superstar.

What the UFC middleweight champion doesn’t have are the highlight-reel performances that would make him famous in the wider world of sports, and it's time to wonder whether he can provide them.

Adesanya's tepid title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276 on Saturday night was another missed opportunity for perhaps the UFC's most impressive overall athlete to reach the next level of stardom.

In fact, Adesanya's last three middleweight title defenses since his failed run at the light heavyweight belt have been decision victories in what MMA experts call technical, tactical performances.

Many others call them dull, no matter how earnestly Adesanya (23-1) objects.

“They don’t know what real fighting is, or real finesse,” Adesanya said afterward when asked about the fans who booed, whistled and left early during his final two rounds in Las Vegas.

“The greats all get to this point," Adesanya added. "Anderson Silva, GSP (Georges St. Pierre), I’d see them and say, ‘That was a fantastic fight,’ and people would boo them. Same with (Muhammad) Ali, (Floyd) Mayweather. You get to this point where you’re so great, people just want to see you fall.”

But as a media-savvy fighter whose love of anime inspired his nickname — The Last Stylebender — Adesanya knows the importance of iconic moments. With his gravity-defying athleticism, he is among the few MMA fighters who can create them solely from his own talent.

He hasn't really done it since he knocked out Robert Whittaker to claim the undisputed UFC 185-pound title in 2019. Adesanya has earned one stoppage victory in his