Israel Adesanya is set to defend his UFC middleweight title against Sean Strickland in Australia, despite Strickland’s controversial reputation, with Adesanya stating that he pushed for Strickland to get the fight.
Israel Adesanya is slated to go head-to-head with Sean Strickland in Australia. However, according to Adesanya, getting this fight approved required subtle behind-the-scenes negotiations. Known as “The Last Stylebender”, Adesanya is defending the UFC middleweight title on September 10th, in the main event of UFC 293. He along with his coach, Eugene Bareman, hosted a media scrum at their gym in New Zealand where they discussed the machinations leading up to the fight. They cited Strickland’s somewhat controversial reputation, amplified by his penchant for off-the-cuff and offensive remarks, as part of the negotiation challenge.
Strickland’s brash personality has garnered both criticism and a unique faction of admiration among the MMA fanbase. In what seemed a last-minute decision, his fight with Adesanya was announced only a month away from the Australian pay-per-view event. Adesanya was rather non-committal when queried about why the fight’s announcement was delayed. He stated, “It wasn’t about him,” and added, “He should thank me for actually making the fight happen, because without me, he wouldn’t have actually got the fight. He was the next logical guy. I’ve beaten all the top 5, some of them twice. So you can’t punish us for being great, so yeah, I pushed for him to get the fight.” He described Strickland as an ‘idiot’, subtly hinting that Strickland’s persona was indeed an obstacle in formalizing the match.
Despite Adesanya’s harsh comments on Strickland, the latter’s record in the ring speaks for itself. Since moving up to the middleweight division, he has won seven out of nine fights. Before his title opportunity, he bagged back-to-back victories and holds significant wins over fighters like Nassourdine Imavov, Jack Hermansson, Uriah Hall, Krzysztof Jotko, and Brendan Allen. However, Strickland’s booking initially surprised many as Dricus Du Plessis, an Adesanya rival, was viewed as the most plausible challenger. Du Plessis and Adesanya have clashed over their African heritage but a foot injury sustained by Du Plessis post his July win over former UFC middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, ruled him out.
Adesanya expressed his desire to face Du Plessis but isn’t making any solid commitments. He remarked, “You only get one shot,” and warned against complacency, emphasizing that a couple of good wins on anyone’s part could easily disrupt the existing standings. He and his coach, Eugene Bareman, demonstrated a readiness to battle Du Plessis but acknowledged the uncertainty of the MMA landscape. Strickland was advised not to ease up lest he’s forced to fight again before his much-anticipated title shot. In the end, it all boils down to opportunity and resilience, qualities that both Adesanya and Bareman believe are ingrained in their gym’s ethos.