Israel Adesanya’s consistent performance in the octagon is evident through his recent regaining of the middleweight division title. Since Izzy’s debut in UFC, he embarked on an impressive winning streak by defeating notable opponents such as Marvin Vettori, Alex Pereira, Brad Tavares, Derek Brunson, and Anderson Silva.
This remarkable track record earned him praise from fellow UFC fighters, including Sean O’Malley, who recently expressed how he envisions a fantasy matchup between himself and The Last Stylebender.
Sean O’Malley honestly predicted his Adesanya matchup result
In a recent interview, Sean O’Malley discussed various aspects of the UFC and shared his perspective on Israel Adesanya’s achievements in the middleweight division. O’Malley praised Adesanya, highlighting that he has successfully defeated all the top-five middleweights.
“Sugar” also emphasized that there are currently no prominent grapplers or wrestlers similar to Adesanya’s style in the division, with the exception of Bo Nickal. O’Malley, who is eyeing the bantamweight title currently held by Aljamain Sterling, drew a parallel between Adesanya’s impressive run and that of Alexander Volkanovski’s accomplishments in the UFC.
When discussing a hypothetical matchup between himself and Adesanya, Sean straightforwardly admitted that he wouldn’t have a chance and would likely be knocked out in the first round. This candid response clearly reflects O’Malley’s deep belief in Adesanya’s skill and ability.
Never forget O'Malley's response when it was asked how a fight between him and Adesanya would go 😅
(via @SugaSeanMMA, h/t @McGregorRousey) pic.twitter.com/3yTqc9Y2yc
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 7, 2023
Adesanya currently not booked to defend the middleweight title
In April this year, The Last Stylebender reclaimed his middleweight throne at UFC 287. The Nigerian fighter’s victory in the much-anticipated bout at the Miami-Dade Arena in Florida marked a journey of redemption as he took his revenge against Alex Pereira.
Israel Adesanya KO Alex Pereira in slow mo pic.twitter.com/zgSt6koVJM
— P4P#1 Volk (@TopMMAContent) August 2, 2023
However, the current middleweight champion still doesn’t have any fight scheduled to defend his gold strap. Although both Dricus Du Plessis and Sean Strickland are highly determined to challenge Adesanya’s reign.
The rivalry between Adesanya and ‘Stillknocks’, both vying for the title of the true African fighter in the UFC, has reached a critical juncture following their encounter at UFC 290. DDP aims to establish himself as the rightful contender to dethrone “The Last Stylebender”.
Israel Adesanya is a winner in all combat sports pic.twitter.com/TfrSHbpcNV
— Mostly MMA (@MostlyMMA) July 15, 2023
Who do you think should be the ideal opponent for Israel Adesanya at the moment? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
