Israel Adesanya has defeated most of the UFC’s middleweight contenders and is continually looking for new challenges. His next test is set for UFC 293, where he will face Sean Strickland in the main event. After du Plessis defeated former champion Robert Whittaker in July, the possibility of another matchup with Dorikas du Plessis looms. Additionally, the fight between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 has the potential to give Adesanya another intriguing rival.
Adesanya is coming off an impressive win over Costa three years ago, but he has yet to face the intriguing prospect Chimaev. Chimaev, the undefeated Chechen, may only need one win over Costa to solidify his status as a top contender at 185 pounds. Adesanya leans slightly in favor of Chimaev, saying: “I like new blood, so I might favor Khamzat a little more.”
Chimaev was considered a future champion as soon as he entered the UFC, but his first path seemed to be at welterweight rather than middleweight. Weight cut issues caused a change in plans and Chimaev moved back to 185 pounds, where he would face the formidable Costa.
While Adesanya and Costa’s rivalry is well-documented, he gave Chimaev a word of warning, stressing that facing the Brazilian in October will not be an easy task. Despite Adesanya making his victory over Costa look easy, he admits that Costa is a formidable opponent, remaining undefeated in the UFC with the exception of losses to Adesanya and Marvin Vettori. Costa’s record includes notable wins over former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and multiple title challenger Yoel Romero, with 11 of his 14 career wins coming by knockout. be.
While Adesanya is focused on his upcoming fight against Strickland in Australia, he is also keeping an eye on developments in the middleweight division. Depending on the outcome of UFC 293, Adesanya could potentially face someone like Chimaev by the end of 2023.
In Adesanya’s words, “Isn’t that interesting? I’m the one actually pushing the fight. I’m even thinking of having another one this year. Let’s see. Yes, for sure. [might get one more fight this year]. Let’s take a look. ”
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