Putting an end to the suspense, Dana White has finally revealed the next challenge awaiting Israel Adesanya. While rumors had been swirling about a potential fight with Sean Strickland, some had also speculated that Adesanya’s heated exchanges with Dricus Du Plessis might lead to a matchup between the two.
However, the speculation has been put to rest as the UFC president yesterday night confirmed that Strickland will indeed be stepping into the ring against The Last Stylebender.
Adesanya returns to defend Middleweight title against Strickland
Initially, Strickland publicly admitted his unpreparedness for a short-notice title fight via Twitter. However, his perspective took a turn as he shared cryptic posts suggesting a change of heart. Accompanied by a training picture, Sean’s comments indicated a newfound willingness to step up and challenge Adesanya for the title.
Fulfilling his desire, Dana has confirmed that Adesanya will defend his UFC middleweight title against Strickland on September 10th in the main event of UFC 293. The venue for this anticipated MMA event is the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
Israel Adesanya will defend his middleweight title against Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney, Australia, UFC announced Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/IviXAe3ivx
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 8, 2023
Strickland’s recent dominance in the middleweight division was evident in his impressive victory over Abus Magomedov at UFC Vegas 76. The win showed his worthiness for a title shot, especially given Magomedov’s imposing record in MMA.
The BJJ black belt delivered a commanding second-round knockout against the Dagestani fighter. During the post-fight press conference, ‘Tarzan’ expressed frustration at not yet receiving a title shot. His aspiration is finally materializing as he gears up to take on Izzy next month.
Man, that Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland press conference is gonna be something! 🍿pic.twitter.com/GIsx02EbVx
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) August 8, 2023
Israel Adesanya puts Alex Pereira to sleep
Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya share an intriguing history in combat sports, marked by a series of confrontations. Pereira has emerged victorious against Adesanya on multiple occasions.
The rivalry between the Brazilian and the Nigerian fighters commenced in a kickboxing bout in 2016, setting the stage for their intense rivalry. Izzy suffered two defeats at the hands of Pereira in their kickboxing encounter.
Following another defeat in MMA in UFC 281, finally, in their fourth showdown at the Miami-Dade Arena, Adesanya got his long-awaited revenge against Poatan in UFC 287 in April this year.
Israel Adesanya KO Alex Pereira in slow mo pic.twitter.com/zgSt6koVJM
— P4P#1 Volk (@TopMMAContent) August 2, 2023
Considering Pereira’s shift to the light heavyweight division and Adesanya’s dedication to reigning over the middleweight division, the prospect of their MMA trilogy fight occurring in the near future seems relatively slim.
Who do you think will win the bout between Adesanya and Strickland? Let us know your predictions in the comments section.
