Francis Ngannou sends warm wishes to Israel Adesanya ahead of UFC Saudi Arabia

Former UFC star Francis Ngannou has wished Israel Adesanya the best ahead of his return to the cage on Saturday.

This weekend, Israel Adesanya will make his return to the cage. He’ll do so by taking on Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia. For ‘Stylebender’, this serves as a real opportunity for him to prove that he can still mix it up with the best middleweights in the world. On the flip side, Nassourdine Imavov has an opportunity to make a name for himself against a former two-time world champion.

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Someone who also knows a thing or two about being a world champion is none other than Francis Ngannou. The man known as ‘The Predator’ has been good friends with Adesanya for a long time and alongside Kamaru Usman, they reigned as the three African kings of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Ahead of the bout, the two men caught up with Francis wishing Israel well on social media.

My big brother!!! https://t.co/IvZU9RBASh

— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) January 30, 2025

Ngannou praises Adesanya

Ngannou: “Just 2 days before the battle for my brother, but he’s stress-free and in high spirits; he even looks younger! [laughing face] #wakandaforever”

Adesanya: “My big brother!!!”

For Israel Adesanya, he’ll probably just see this as another day at the office. In truth, though, this is a really important contest when you talk about what he’s got left in the tank. He’s been in this game for a long time, and he wants to prove he’s still worthy of a championship. Hopefully, his fans are treated to something special when he battles Imavov.

What do you expect to happen when Israel Adesanya returns to the cage this weekend? Do you anticipate that he will become a world champion once again? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!