Victory over Strickland will cement Adesanya’s legendary status in UFC

UFC champion Israel Adesanya, the highly skilled Nigerian-born fighter, has etched his name in the history books once again by achieving a remarkable feat that no other fighter has accomplished in the world of mixed martial arts.

Adesanya recently regained the UFC Middleweight Championship, solidifying his status as one of the most dominant fighters in the division.

 Adesanya went on to claim the undisputed Middleweight title at UFC 243 on October 6, 2019, by defeating Robert Whittaker in a second-round knockout. Since then, he successfully defended his title against formidable opponents such as Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Jared Cannonier.

However, Adesanya’s reign as champion was temporarily interrupted when he faced Alex Pereira at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022. Pereira emerged victorious in a grueling five-round contest, dethroning Adesanya and ending his reign as the Middleweight champion.

At UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2, held on April 8, 2023, Adesanya faced his long-term rival, Alex Pereira, in a highly-anticipated rematch.

Less than a minute into the second round, Adesanya delivered a devastating right hand that knocked out Pereira, earning him the Performance of the Night accolade. With this victory, Adesanya became the first and only fighter to regain the Middleweight title in UFC history.

Looking towards the future, Adesanya is already preparing for his next challenge. He is set to defend his Middleweight Championship against Sean Strickland at UFC 293, scheduled to take place on September 10, 2023, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

The Adesanya vs. Strickland bout is expected to be a thrilling clash between two highly skilled fighters, and fans around the world eagerly anticipate this headline event.

Predicting an easy victory against the outspoken Covina native ‘Down Under’ this weekend, Adesnaya has teased his desire to land a submission win before calling time on his illustrious mixed martial arts career. And claims the opportunity to pursue such a stoppage may be presented as soon as Saturday night.

“What do I want in my career? Submission – I definitely want a submission,” Israel Adesanya told TSN reporter, Aaron Bronsteter. “It might be [in] this fight [against Sean Strickland]. “I know he’s going to wrestle. He’d be dumb not to, so I know he’s going to mix it up.”

 “He’s doing this whole thing, ‘Oh, man dance, man dance’ – he’s going to crotch sniff, that’s what he’s going to do,” Israel Adesanya explained. “I mean, he’s got smart coaches and they’ll definitely beat it [a wrestling approach] into him. I know they’ve been talking about it, and he’s like, ‘What, crotch sniff? I’m gonna box.’ He’s gonna box with me. The (Alex) Pereira fight I told him, ‘Focus on your job ‘cause he’s gonna knock you out.’ What did he do? He knocked him out because he wasn’t focused on his job, he was focused on me. But, yeah, he’s gonna crotch sniff, but I get down too. So it’s whatever.”