The question of who Israel Adesanya will fight next is one of the most intriguing ones at the moment. Given Izzy’s recent heated verbal exchange with Dricus Du Plessis, it was expected that his next octagon opponent would be DDP. However, there are also talks about a potential middleweight title fight with Sean Strickland considering the South African’s injury reports.
Belal Muhammad discussed the highly-anticipated middleweight title fight in detail. The welterweight fighter firmly believes that Strickland doesn’t stand a chance against The Last Stylebender.
Belal Muhammad predicts Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland
In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Belal discussed Adesanya’s dominance in the middleweight division, having defeated almost all the top contenders except Sean Strickland. During the interview, Muhammad shared his thoughts on Strickland potentially getting a title fight and expressed his opinions about the matchup.
“I think Izzy’s just gonna outclass him. Izzy’s striking is gonna be way better than him. It’s gonna be kinda like the Pereira fight. I think what Abus did to Strickland the first round, I think Izzy can keep that pace up for five rounds and do the same exact thing.” Belal said.
Strickland had an impressive performance a month ago, securing a victory over Abus Magomedov in the UFC Fight Night main event. After the win, Strickland openly expressed his ambition to face the current middleweight champion in his next bout.
Sean Strickland gets denied UFC title shot against Israel Adesanya
Strickland initially saw his win as an opportunity to prove himself as a worthy contender for the middleweight title. While Adesanya’s next fight is yet to be announced, Strickland’s recent victory has caught the attention of fans and pundits alike, leading to speculations that The Last Stylebender might consider him as a potential opponent over Dricus Du Plessis.
Despite the growing anticipation and excitement among fight enthusiasts for Adesanya’s next challenger, ‘Tarzan’ seems to be stepping back from the fight. The 32-year-old fighter took to Twitter to give fans a glimpse at the ‘behind the scene’ issues.
“I mean I’m a grown-ass man. I’d fight him right after my last fight if you pay me. I don’t think the ufc wants it soooo burgers for me.” Sean said.
Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland is being targeted for UFC 293 in Sydney, per Adesanya pic.twitter.com/5H4yPBnwX7
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) July 20, 2023
The American fighter believes that for big fights, the leadup needs to be proper, and preparing to face someone as skilled as Adesanya within just two months is quite challenging. Due to the limited preparation time, Strickland has decided not to pursue the fight at this moment.
“I will say it is wild they are having a card like that and don’t have a headline 6 weeks out. Someone at the ufc really dropped the ball on this. I offered. Best I could do. Maybe we can just have a parking lot event after for the aussies.” Strickland tweeted.
Israel Adesanya says he will be fighting Sean Strickland next…
Strickland might not win, but he will absolutely humiliate Adesanya on the mic every chance he gets 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/NrhYISIeij
— Homelander MMA (@HomelanderMMA) July 20, 2023
This decision has left fans wondering who could be the next contender to step up to face The Last Stylebender in the Octagon. Do you Dricus Du Plessis is still the best contender at the moment? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
