Israel Adesanya has accepted that his long-desired rematch with Sean Strickland is unlikely to happen and says he is ready to face anyone next.
The former middleweight champion has endured a difficult run, losing three straight fights since reclaiming his title with a knockout of Alex Pereira. After dropping the belt to Strickland in one of the UFC’s biggest upsets, Adesanya suffered further defeats to Dricus du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov.
Despite pushing hard for a second meeting with Strickland, the American ignored Adesanya’s callouts and has been out of action following a suspension for attacking a regional fighter while cornering a teammate.
“I’m not surprised,” Adesanya told Submission Radio. “If you want to get something done right, do it right the first time. That’s the lesson I learned. He’s doing other things in his own life… I’ve moved on. I just want to fight. I’m staying ready for any and everyone.”
While Adesanya is no longer in the middleweight title race, he remains engaged with the division’s storylines. He recently assessed Nassourdine Imavov’s chances against unbeaten champion Khamzat Chimaev, suggesting the French contender could cause problems if he neutralises Chimaev’s wrestling.
“His wrestling is his main weapon,” Adesanya said. “If Nassourdine can get past that, he’ll give Khamzat problems. Right now, Khamzat has the momentum, but so does Imavov. Who will win? We’ll see.”
For Adesanya, the focus now is on returning to the Octagon soon – against whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
