Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is expressing a clear desire for a second fight against Sean Strickland.
Following a recent break from the sport and speculation about his fighting future, Adesanya has confirmed he isn`t retiring. He`s now focused on his next opponent and has a specific name in mind.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Adesanya shared his process after his last bout. “I didn’t spar after my last fight,” he said. “I did so well in the fight, I did so well in the camp, and I didn’t get the result that I wanted, but I was still proud of myself. I’m still proud of the way I worked. So then I didn’t spar because I just looked after my brain.”
He noted the turning point came recently in Miami: “Then, when I was in Miami recently watching [Alexander Volkanovski] get his belt back, then I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months. And I knew once I sparred it would be like, ‘Man, I’ve gotta fight!’”
Adesanya is ready to return and knows who he wants to step into the octagon with next. “So for me now, I told my coach already, it’s time. I just knew. And I have a feeling who I want to fight. You’ll like this one: I’ve gotta get some get back. Strickland. I’m going to get it back.”
In 2023, Adesanya regained the middleweight title by knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC 287. However, his reign was short-lived. Stepping in to face Adesanya at UFC 293, Sean Strickland delivered one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, dominating Adesanya over five rounds to claim the championship.
While acknowledging Strickland`s performance, Adesanya wants to prove the previous fight was not representative of his best. “He beat me fair and square in Sydney,” Adesanya stated. “5 – Nil. Just whooped my ass, badly. Again, that was one of the things that made me realize I need to slow down in my activity. I was fighting 3-4 times a year as champion. So I want to pull back now, because I’m older, I’m doing things different.”
He continued, “I don’t want to make excuses, because he beat me, but I just want to show him if he beat me at my best. So this time I’m going to come at him correct.”
Adesanya also revealed a personal motivation for the rematch, linking Strickland`s actions to past trauma. “Everything is done since then. Because I used to get bullied a lot as a kid. So he’s an embodiment of that, in a sense, because he attacked me, the inner child. So i just want to protect him and get some get back for him.”
Sean Strickland last competed earlier this year, losing his rematch against current middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.
