UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will not shy away from anyone and will take on all comers. Next up for the "Stylebender" is Sean Strickland, who he will face at UFC 293 on Saturday, September 9 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.
Adesanya is fresh from his win over Alex Pereira in April this year, winning via knockout in the second round to snag the UFC Middleweight Championship. This was after he lost in their initial encounter in November 2022, where the Nigerian/New Zealand national lost via TKO.
He now focuses on Strickland, wherein he is expected to show off his ground game. He has yet to force any opponent into submission, something he shared when he spoke to TSN.
Read more: UFC Boss Dana White Douses Water on Claims Ronda Rousey Will Fight at UFC 300
"I like clean executions. I've had great performances, I've had shut-outs, I've had a loss, I've had a comeback - great comebacks. I think (I want to) showcase my grappling a little bit more, and just take some limbs, take some breaths away," Adesanya stated.
Regardless, it cannot be denied that "The Stylebender" will never back down from a fight. Names such as Dricus Du Plessis, Paulo Costa, and Khamzat Chimaev loom over the horizon as some of his possible next opponents.
But heading into UFC 294, those names will be whittled down, with Costa and Chimaev set to lock horns at the said event.
Adesanya warns Costa not to take Chimaev lightly
Since Adesanya already had the chance to face Costa at UFC 253 in September 2020, it is no surprise that he is intrigued about possibly meeting Chimaev moving forward.
"I don't know who's going to win but I think if I'm favoring, I might be favoring Khamzat a little bit more," Adesanya said to MMA Fighting. "Because I like new blood."
Chimaev is undefeated and looms as a potential opponent if he can pull off a win over Costa at UFC 294. But having already faced Costa, Adesanya knows it will be an interesting night between the two MMA fighters.
Further, Chimaev will be making his debut at middleweight. Adesanya believes it will be a tough night for the Swedish fighter, and Chechen should not let his guard down against Borrachinha when they clash this October at UFC 294.
Related Article: Spence Jr. Needs to Reconsider Rematch With Crawford, Recover From Beatdown First
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
