Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya is setting his sights on a rematch against Sean Strickland.
Earlier this year, Adesanya experienced a challenging period, suffering his third consecutive loss when he was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia. This tough streak led to speculation about whether “The Last Stylebender” might retire from the sport. However, after taking a few months to recover, Adesanya has stated he is not finished and knows who he wants to face next.
“I didn`t spar after my last fight,” Adesanya shared on his YouTube channel. “I felt I performed well in the fight and had a great training camp, even though I didn`t get the outcome I wanted. I was still proud of my effort and work ethic. So, I avoided sparring to protect my brain. Then, while recently in Miami watching [Alexander Volkanovski] win his belt back, I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months. That session made me realize, `Man, I need to fight!`”
He continued, “Now, I`ve told my coach, it`s time. I just knew. And I have a feeling about who I want to fight. You`re going to like this: I need to get some payback. Strickland. I`m going to get that fight back.”
In 2023, Adesanya famously reclaimed his middleweight title by knocking out his rival Alex Pereira at UFC 287. With Pereira moving up to light heavyweight afterward, it seemed Adesanya was poised for another dominant run in the division. However, Sean Strickland had other plans.
Stepping in to headline UFC 293 after Dricus du Plessis withdrew, Strickland delivered one of the most stunning upsets in UFC history. He completely outpointed Adesanya over five rounds to capture the middleweight belt. While Adesanya acknowledges Strickland`s victory was legitimate, he is determined to prove that performance was an anomaly.
“He beat me fair and square in Sydney,” Adesanya stated. “5 – 0. He just absolutely beat me badly. That was one of the reasons I understood I needed to reduce my activity. I was fighting three to four times a year as champion. Now, I plan to slow down because I`m older, and I`m approaching things differently.”
“I don`t want to make excuses because he won, but I want to show if he could beat me when I`m at my best. So, this time I`m coming at him correctly.”
He added, “Everything that`s happened since then is connected. Because I was bullied often as a kid. So, in a way, he embodies that because he attacked me, the inner child. I just want to protect that part of myself and get some retribution for him.”
Strickland`s most recent fight was a loss in his own rematch against middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 312 in February.
Considering a potential rematch between Izzy and Strickland makes some sense from a competitive standpoint, though it would involve two top-ranked fighters competing without an immediate title shot opportunity. Some might prefer to see both give opportunities to rising contenders. However, if the fight happens, the logic behind it is understandable.
