Israel Adesanya Ready to Again

December 15, 2024
2 months

It wasn’t long ago that everyone wanted a piece of Israel Adesanya. He was a long-reigning middleweight champion and a fighter who others wanted to knock off. The past few years haven’t been kind to Adesanya. In late 2023, Adesanya lost his championship when he was upset by Sean Strickland. When Adesanya returned to attempt to reclaim his championship against Dricus du Plessis, Adesanya lost by submission for the first time in his career. But MMAfighting latest news shows Adesanya falling down the rankings hasn’t slowed down the desire of other fighters to meet him in the cage.

Adesanya has said he isn’t ready to retire. The UFC reportedly offered the second-ranked Adesanya two fights: a bout with No. 5 Nassourdine Imavov or one against No. 6 Caio Borralho. Adesanya supposedly has chosen to face off against the polished French striker, Imavov.

Borralho, who is part of the red-hot Fighting Nerds gym, claimed that Adesanya didn’t want to fight him. While there is likely some truth to Adesanya’s not wanting another grappling-heavy fighter, he likely would have been willing to take on Borralho too.

Adesanya in a Rare Spot

It’s been a few years since Adesanya had a fight in the UFC where a championship belt wasn’t on the line. Adesanya’s last fight that wasn’t for a belt, whether interim or undisputed, came back in February 2019 when he fought Anderson Silva.

In Adesanya’s first fight after beating the legendary middleweight champion, Adesanya won the interim middleweight championship by winning a decision over Kelvin Gastelum. Adesanya has now had 12 consecutive fights with the gold on the line. However, MMA breaking news shows Adesanya’s career has slowed down.

Adesanya has lost three of his past four fights. The last loss to du Plessis was difficult for Adesanya, who was badgered by plenty of smack talk from the now-South African champion.

Why Does Imavov Make Sense?

Imavov is a much better matchup for Adesanya than Borralho. Imavov has spent most of his time in the UFC on his feet striking. While Imavov does have four wins by submission on his resume, he hasn’t submitted an opponent in the UFC.

While Strickland and Alex Pereira were both willing to stand and trade with Adesanya, du Plessis heavily utilized his grappling. While Adesanya had fared well against wrestlers before, notoriously against Marvin Vettori, du Plessis was able to land an important takedown against the former champion.

Borralho, on the other hand, has done a lot of wrestling during his time in the UFC. If Borralho got an opportunity to fight Adesanya, he would likely try to put the former champion on the mat.

How Will the Title Picture Play Out?

The division may go as Khamzat Chimaev does. The best MMA news sites show that Strickland will have an opportunity to get revenge on du Plessis at UFC 312 in February. Even if that fight is close, Chimaev should be next in line for the opportunity.

The problem with Chimaev is that he hasn’t been reliable. There have been a few times when Chimaev was forced to pull out of fights due to illness. Chimaev also once famously missed weight and forced the top three cards of a pay-per-view to be rearranged the night before the fight.

But there is no denying Chimaev is a talented fighter. Chimaev is 14-0 during his career, with six wins by knockout and six wins by submission. Many of the other fights in the top 10 have had their shot at the top. Vettori failed in his attempt at the belt, while Jared Cannonier also made an unsuccessful title challenge. Cannonier also recently took a loss to Imavov.

What Does Adesanya Have Left to Prove?

Adesanya had a rapid ascent up the MMA world. He initially made his name in kickboxing but built up his striking acumen by taking some professional boxing fights as well. Eventually, Adesanya would go on to the UFC, where he would have two reigns as middleweight champion.

Looking at the best MMA news site will show that Adesanya also made an unsuccessful challenge to be a multi-division champion when he fought Jan Błachowicz for the light heavyweight title. Adesanya’s style drew criticism from some segments of the fanbase.

Adesanya has always been a precise striker, but he wasn’t the type of fighter to hunt for knockouts. The MMA latest updates show that Adesanya likely deserved more respect than he has received from the fanbase. Adesanya was always an active striker. People just prefer to see fights and avoid the scorecard.

Can Adesanya Bounce Back?

Adesanya, 35, is heading into the final portion of his career. Taking on Imavov is an opportunity for Adesanya to keep his name in the championship conversation. Taking a loss would be tough for Adesanya, who has fought some of the toughest fighters the UFC has had to offer since he entered the promotion.

When Adesanya returns to the octagon, expect him to be excited about trying to assert his dominance in the rankings. Adesanya is one of the most prolific strikers in UFC history. Anyone who is coming up the rankings will have to think twice before trying to take down the former champion.

There were a few years when Adesanya was arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA. While he doesn’t have a ground game, he has an impressive level of striking.

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By Dean McHugh.

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