“I Should Be the One Fighting Izzy”: After Getting His “Brain Cells” Knocked, UFC MW Contender Makes a Case for Championship Fight Against Israel Adesanya

Sean Strickland is confident that he deserves to be Israel Adesanya‘s next opponent. Ever since Adesanya became the middleweight champion, a number of fighters have wanted to lock horns with him. While ‘The Last Stylebender’s upcoming fight has yet to be officially announced, it is expected to take place in September, potentially in Australia. In the meantime, UFC has set a title eliminator match for July between Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis. However, it remains uncertain whether the winner of that fight will be able to fight Adesanya in September, with not much time left in between.

Regardless of the potential availability of the Whittaker-Du Plessis victor, Strickland firmly maintains his belief that he should be the one to challenge Adesanya next. ‘Tarzan’ is determined that he will be able to fight the Nigerian if he wins against Abusupiyan Magomedov at UFC on ESPN 48. He also emphasized his eagerness to face the current middleweight champion.

Sean Strickland confident about getting a title shot against Israel Adesanya

The 32-year-old was talking in an exclusive interview with MMA News. During the conversation, he told about his next move. Strickland said, “If this fight goes my way, it 100 percent should be in the cards ” Strickland then mentioned his loss against Jared Cannonier, and he said, “Can hear dude knock some brain cells on me. Solid guy, thought I won on the scorecards but it is what it is. ” He further added, “I truly believe I should be the one fighting Izzy, but I lost fair and square. I’ll pay my tenants. I’ll get some Ws, but yeah, that one needs to happen.” Strickland is one of the strongest fighters on the UFC roster with a record of 26 victories and five losses.

While talking in the interview, the Californian didn’t forget to mention his fight against Jared Cannonier. After a back-and-forth battle, it was Cannonier who won the bout. Soon after the fifth round, ‘The Killa Gorilla’s hand was raised. However, Strickland seems confident about getting a title shot in the near future.

‘Stylebender’ ready to face his next opponent

It has been confirmed that Israel Adesanya’s next fight will be against the winner of the Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis matchup. The highly anticipated bout is set to take place at UFC 290. Adesanya himself has shown excitement for this fight in an Instagram post, indicating his anticipation of the showdown between Whittaker and du Plessis. However, there seems to be a personal motivation for Adesanya to face ‘Stillknocks’, as there has been a debate between the two regarding their African heritage.

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Adesanya expressed a desire for revenge against du Plessis, who claimed that ‘Stylebender’ was not a true African due to his residency and training outside of Africa. In his Instagram post, Adesanya shared a promotional video highlighting his journey in the UFC. Alongside the video, he asked his followers, “Who do you want to win, Rob or Dricus, and why?” This question indicates Adesanya’s curiosity about the fans’ perspective on the Whittaker-Du Plessis matchup.

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