Current UFC middleweight champion of the world, Israel Adesanya, arguably one of the biggest stars in the organization, still wants to face Sean Strickland next after being defeated in a shocking upset. Even so, he has not been able to book another fight against Strickland yet, though he has a lot of confidence that this fight will happen again shortly. Since the last fight, Adesanya has recaptured the middleweight title and wants to avenge his defeat by Strickland.
The Surprising loss to Strickland
Unsurprisingly, it remains a huge upset of the MMA landscape that Israel Adesanya lost to Sean Strickland in 2023. That was a fight that Israel Adesanya seemingly anticipated to dominate but could not; it was a fight that was lost to Strickland. Nevertheless, he experienced a loss to Strickland and is now working harder to overcome that defeat, aiming for a rematch.
After losing to Strickland, Israel Adesanya quickly regained his middleweight title in August by defeating Dricus Du Plessis. He could do this by posting a victory against Dricus Du Plessis, who had relieved Strickland of the belt. That victory can be attributed to his tenacity and desire to stay at the division’s top for a long time.
That said, although he re-captured the title, he has not been able to get the rematch with Strickland, for which he is badly eager. Nonetheless, he is optimistic it will come, and when it does, he will be prepared. He showed an interest in facing Strickland in the future, but it looks like Strickland’s next fight could be an amide with Du Plessis, a man who stripped him of his belt. The Strickland-Du Plessis fight could shape the middleweight division and pave the way for Israel Adesanya’s desired rematch.
Israel Adesanya’s Confidence in a Re-Match
Even as Israel admits to not being at his best when he clashed with Strickland the first time, he claims he has a better version that would win Strickland’s. He is very confident that there will be different results when they fight again, and he looks forward to proving to the world that he can beat Stickland. He mentioned that
“That was just his week, and his, and everything. So it’s his time; let him have it, but I definitely know what I can do. I took his best shots, and I just know I can take this guy. I know what I can do. Not similar to the Pereira one where I was winning, but this one, I definitely know what I can do with this guy.”
He tries to maintain confidence in his fighting skills. The new interesting fights in the middleweight division will be key to the attention of Adesanya, Strickland, and Du Plessis as the UFC progresses. Whether the rematch will happen sooner or later, Adesanya does not mind; he is ready and willing to fight and confirm his victory again.
Final Thoughts
Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland’s rivalry was over? Think again. Focusing on his goal to finally regain the title, Adesanya is sure that he had a chance to fight Strickland again, and the next time, he won’t lose, thus becoming one of the best middleweight fighters in the UFC. Until then, the audience will have even higher anticipation for fights featuring some of the best fighters in a division.
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