“He’s never said anything, but again, it’s easy money. Come on, you beat me once, do it again… you’ll be fine,” Israel Adesanya stated in a disappointed tone on his Freestylebender YouTube channel. ‘The Last Stylebender’ is currently going through the worst phase of his career, sitting on a three-fight losing streak. So, he badly wants to make a comeback—and what could be more satisfying than settling the UFC 294 score against Sean Strickland? But it seems Adesanya’s callouts haven’t been reaching his nemesis’s ears, and recently, things got even worse.

‘Tarzan’ recently made headlines for causing chaos at a Tuff-N-Uff event, where he struck another MMA fighter after an altercation. The NSAC handed him a six-month suspension along with a $5,000 fine. Still, UFC insider Chael Sonnen believes that despite Strickland’s current suspension, the timing sets up a perfect opportunity for both him and Israel Adesanya to run it back in the latter half of this year.

Chael Sonnen believes Sean Strickland vs Israel Adesanya can very well happen 

‘The Bad Guy’ in his YouTube video stated, “It was great! Six months retroactive makes him eligible toward the end of this year. I believe he’s still on track with Izzy. I say that because neither the UFC, Sean Strickland, nor Izzy has given us any reason to believe otherwise. More to come in the UFC middleweight contender race.”   

Well, ‘The American Gangster’ definitely has a point here! Sean Strickland hasn’t outright rejected Israel Adesanya’s offer. Plus, the former 185-pound champ was given the option to attend anger management, which could cut his suspension down to 4.5 months. Making him eligible to compete in November. That means the ultimate rematch between two of the division’s top contenders might still be on the table.

From a scheduling perspective, the UFC is keeping late-2025 cards flexible, with international dates in Abu Dhabi and Madison Square Garden both drawing speculation as possible landing spots. Industry insiders have noted that Adesanya’s star power remains a key factor in international markets, especially as the UFC seeks to expand its Middle East footprint.

However, given Strickland’s current situation, anything can go south at any moment. The UFC may even consider making exceptions for Adesanya’s comeback. And as things stand, rumors of him facing a very familiar foe have already started making the rounds. 

‘The Last Stylebender’ could meet Paulo Costa at UFC 321   

Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa’s rivalry goes back to 2020. The former middleweight champion delivered one of his most memorable knockouts against ‘Borrachinha’ at UFC 253 after a heated build-up. Since then, Costa has been chasing a rematch. Now, nearly five years later, a window of opportunity opened when Adesanya admitted he’d be open to facing the Brazilian again—if Costa secured a win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318.

Costa ended up showing flashes of his vintage self against Kopylov, a performance that even impressed Adesanya. Reacting to his former rival’s display, ‘The Last Stylebender’ said, “Costa is looking f—ing clean! Bro, he’s selecting them nice. That uppercut, right to the body as well. Costa is on today, he’s back. Good job, buddy. Finally!”

That reaction made it clear—Adesanya is interested in running it back with Costa. And as talks of a Strickland rematch started to lose momentum, buzz around a rematch with ‘Borrachinha’ began heating up. Adding fuel to the fire, popular X account Octagon Pulse posted, “BREAKING: Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa 2 is officially in the works for #UFC321 at The Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025.”

It’s worth noting, however, that the UFC has not officially confirmed Adesanya vs. Costa 2, and promotion president Dana White has remained quiet on the matter. Still, fans on Reddit’s r/MMA forum have been split—some calling Costa the “right comeback fight” for Adesanya, while others argue Strickland deserves a rematch first. On X, hashtags like #IzzyVsCosta2 trended briefly after the Octagon Pulse report, signaling genuine fan appetite for the rivalry’s renewal.

So far, though, the UFC hasn’t confirmed or even hinted at this matchup. Plus, UFC 321 already has a co-main event lined up between Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida. If Adesanya vs Costa 2 does get added, it’ll be interesting to see whether the promotion reshuffles the card.

With that being said, what excites you more? Adesanya’s shot at redemption against Sean Strickland, or a refreshed Paulo Costa stepping back into the cage with him? Drop your thoughts below!