Anderson Silva: Israel Adesanya ‘is not my clone or a better version of me’

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva doesn’t seem too worried about taking on one of the division’s hottest young prospects in his next fight.

In an interview with Combate, “The Spider” explained how he doesn’t think Israel Adesanya is a better fighter than he is, nor is he worried about the outcome of the clash.

Furthermore, Silva also addressed his past claims about saying only his own clone could be a perfect matchup for him and how people are calling Adesanya that potential match for him. In Anderson’s opinion, it was only meant to be interpreted as joke.

“When I talked about fighting my clone, that’s because it was funny, it was a way of not saying who I wanted to fight next,” Silva said. “I think Israel is a great fighter, but he’s not my clone or a better version of me. I have three clones at home, my kids. Everyone is talking about me and Israel. I’ve been through different situations in this sport, I won and I lost.

“Now, I only want to be happy, especially for myself,” he continued. “I train everyday, I have a great team and friends around me. I’m only trying to do my best, not for anyone else, but for myself. I have nothing to say about Israel other than he’s young, a new talent and a challenge for me.”

Anderson Silva is expected to take on Israel Adesanya at UFC 234, in Melbourne, Australia, on February 9. The card will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between the champion, Robert Whittaker, and challenger Kelvin Gastelum.