The former UFC champion’s coach and manager, Eugene Bairman, revealed this in an interview with Combat TV.
“I thought he took the knockdown well and got back in the fight, but I have no doubt that anyone who has ever fought knows that when you get a concussion from a punch like that, all sorts of things can happen,” the specialist said. “It’s impossible to predict what the aftermath of a knockdown will be – whether it will slow your reaction time, or your thinking. A knockdown, or concussion, by definition can have many consequences and have a negative effect on well-being and performance”
Bairman, who said at the post-fight press conference that they were ready to take a rematch from the American in a week, still believes in the victory of his ward, but clarified that this term should be understood not literally, but figuratively.
“I still believe that we can change the result very quickly, because in this case we are talking about a unique athlete who has more than a hundred fights at the highest level. Shawn brought something unusual, namely his scrawny style, and we thought we could handle it, but obviously we didn’t do a very good job, although Israel saw everything. Not in seven days, but we’ll do the work on the mistakes and get it right.”
As a reminder, the title fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland, which headlined UFC 293 in Sydney three weeks ago, went the full distance and ended with the American winning a 49-46 three-round unanimous decision.