Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is no longer in the title discussion for the first time in many years. Rather, the 35-year-old UFC star is contemplating retirement in a few years time. However, he intends to exact revenge on Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis before he leaves the promotion. Here is what happened:
Israel Adesanya recently sat down for a conversation on the Rich Eisen Show. During their discussion, Eisen asked the former champion what would be the best-case scenario to finish his career in. Adesanya replied that he intends to redeem his losses to Strickland and Du Plessis, although he is in no rush to do so.
“There are definitely two fights I will take revenge on: the Strickland and Du Plessis fights. But right now, I don’t know who my next opponent is—I just want to fight.”
Israel Adesanya via Rich Eisen Show
UFC 293 was a shocking upset for ‘The Last Stylebender’ fans as Strickland defeated Adesanya to claim the UFC middleweight championship. Strickland was considered a heavy underdog, but he dominated the fight and dropped Adesanya in the first round and kept him on the defensive throughout the bout. He ultimately won by unanimous decision.
⚡️Israel Adesanya still aims to take revenge on Dricus Du Plesis and Sean Strickland
“There are definitely two fights I will take revenge on: the [Sean] Strickland and [Dricus] Du Plessis fights. But right now, I don’t know who my next opponent is—I just want to fight.”
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 4, 2024
Israel Adesanya faced Du Plessis at UFC 305. This was a highly anticipated matchup with an intense rivalry between the two fighters. Du Plessis won via a fourth-round submission after applying a rear-naked choke. It will be interesting to see who Adesanya takes on next.
Kevin Holland is not interested in fighting Israel Adesanya
Kevin Holland recently criticized Israel Adesanya and expressed his discontent with the latter’s current fighting style. During his interview with ESPN, ‘Trailblazer’ expressed that he finds Adesanya’s ongoing approach—focused on leg kicks and defensive tactics—boring.
Instead, Holland prefers to fight Paulo Costa, as he believes he would make for a more exciting matchup. This is a broader sentiment shared by some UFC fans. Many feel that Adesanya’s style has become more conservative in recent bouts. Holland is known for his own aggressive and unpredictable style. He would prefer opponents who match that energy in the Octagon.
Now he’s just some guy who can’t stop running backwards and getting clipped and throwing a lot of leg kicks. At the end of the day, guys fighting like that, they play the chess match where they’re just doing (leg kicks) all night. It’s like, that’s boring.
Kevin Holland via ESPN
A potential matchup between the two would be quite marketable. But Adesanya currently sits at #2 in the division’s rankings, while Holland ranks #15 in the welterweight division. It will be interesting to see if the two clash inside the octagon anytime soon, especially with Holland taking on #10 middleweight Roman Dolidze in less than 24 hours at UFC 307.
