Israel Adesenya reclaimed his middleweight title five months after losing his title to longtime nemesis Alex Pereira. The victory came in a sensational second-round knockout at UFC 287. This was the fourth time the two fighters had met and their second inside the octagon. Additionally, it was the first time Adesenya had won over the Brazilian.
Based on their previous fights, many UFC fans would have predicted Pereira would once again get the better of the Nigerian-born and New Zealand-based operator. However, he probably had the backing of Kiwi UFC fans, including betting fans. If you bet on sports from New Zealand, check out the William Hill promo code for a more enhanced betting experience. So, what’s next for Adesanya? When is his next fight?
Let’s look at the fighters Israel Adesenya will face next:
Alex Pereira
Most UFC fans would want to see the trilogy, but Pereira and ‘The Last Stylebender’ are currently 1-1 in an MMA setting. A trilogy fight in the octagon to settle the score would make a lot of sense.
But, Adesenya revealed in his UFC 287 press conference that he is not interested in a trilogy. He stated that he does not keep scores, he settles them, and according to him, it is settled. Time will tell whether we’ll see the trilogy.
Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev made his UFC in 2020 and has dominated all his fights. At 21-0, he defeated Kevin Holland in his most recent fight at UFC 279. Chimaev was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz that night but missed weight by 7.5 pounds. The undefeated star is finding it challenging to make welterweight, and a move up to 185 makes sense.
Jamahal Hill
Nowadays, it is normal for champions to move up and down weight categories and become title holders in two different divisions. Jamal Hill is the current lightweight champion after overcoming Glover Teixeira at UFC 283 in January.
Adesenya would be confident of getting the job done against Hill because Hill is a match-up stylistically for ‘The Last Sylebender.’
Jan Blachowicz
The former light-heavyweight champion is another name that Adesenya would consider. ‘The Last Stylebender’ has lost two fights in his career so far. He has already avenged his defeat to Pereira in UFC 287 and would want to face Blachowicz again.
Blachowicz revealed on Twitter that he would cut down to middleweight meaning the fight will not take place at 205 pounds. He also congratulated Adesenya and dared him for a rematch!
