Israel Adesanya’s last trek to the famous Octagon took place on the first night of the month of February. That winter’s night saw him go to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for UFC Fight Night. Although “The Last Stylebender” was ticketed for a five-round main event versus Nassourdine Imavov, the result wasn’t one he, or anyone else watching, expected.
During the second round of an advertised five, Nassourdine Imavov uncorked a brutal right-handed punch to wobble Israel Adesanya and send him down. From there, Imavov landed a barrage of ground and pound shots to force the referee to call a halt to the fight.
Total time of the knockout in the second round: 30 seconds. Adesanya has had over five months time to rest, recover, and most importantly, plot his next moves inside the Octagon.
During UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas, Adesanya provided some clarity to the question MMA fans the world over are wondering about:
Who’s Up Next for Israel Adesanya and When?
While supporters of “The Last Stylebender” may be hungry to see their favorite fighter square off against Sean Strickland next time out, Adesanya has tabled that idea for the time being. He met with the press during the June 26 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and provided an update on the status of a potential fight versus Strickland.
“I want to [fight Sean Strickland,] but he’s busy with other stuff,” Israel Adesanya began, “so that’s him. We’ll see. I’ll pick a fight this weekend.”
Despite the result not going his way five months ago in Riyadh, the notion of locking horns with an opponent in an international card is still an appealing one for Adesanya. Currently, the UFC is forecast to travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, Oct. 25 for UFC 321 on pay-per-view. It’ll be the second trip to Abu Dhabi in under three months for the promotion, which is also on the books for an ABC show on July 26.
Sean Strickland in Hot Water After Israel Adesanya Tempers Rematch Talk
Even if Israel Adesanya wanted to fight Sean Strickland again, he might not have been able to. Last weekend, Strickland attended Tuff-N-Uff 145 on UFC Fight Pass and got involved in some viral extracurricular activities.
Strickland’s teammate, Miles Hunsinger, was fighting on the June 29 card versus Luis Hernandez, with both Sean Strickland and Chris Curtis serving as Hunsinger’s cornermen. Unfortunately for the Hunsinger camp, their fighter was on the receiving end of a standing guillotine choke in the second round of a scheduled three.
Upon Hernandez and Hunsinger exchanging a handshake after the bout, Sean Strickland delivered a punch to the former’s head. Security officers assigned to Tuff-N-Uff 145 ejected Sean Strickland from the arena.
As of Thursday evening, there’s been no update on the potential disciplinary actions that will be leveled against Sean Strickland by the UFC. Luis Hernandez, however, has revealed earlier this week that he respects Strickland and wouldn’t want to see him reprimanded in any form.
Israel Adesanya Needs to Win in Potential October Fight
While a fight between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland is on the backburner for now, if he is to fight on UFC 321 in October from Abu Dhabi, a win would be a boon for his camp. As of the Feb. 1 contest in Riyadh, Adesanya has now dropped three consecutive bouts inside the Octagon dating back to the original fight against Sean Strickland in September of 2023. All told, he’s gone 1-4 in his last five fights.
The lone win in that stretch was recorded by way of second-round knockout by way of counter right against Alex Pereira during UFC 287 in April of 2023. Nothing has been set in stone as of yet, but stay tuned right here for the latest information on Israel Adesanya.
