UFC’s number two middleweight contender, Israel Adesanya, is just weeks away from challenging current division king Dricus du Plessis for the title at UFC 305. The headline fight will take place in Australia on August 18th, marking Adesanya’s return to the Octagon after losing his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 last year. Despite being the underdog, Strickland stunned everyone by capturing the middleweight belt.

In preparation for his comeback, Adesanya recently analyzed his fight with Sean Strickland in a YouTube video. He shared his thoughts on the fight and identified key lessons that will help him reclaim his top position.

Israel Adesanya reflects on Sean Strickland’s fight

To make his return to the Octagon memorable, Israel Adesanya is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation. As part of this strategy, Adesanya recently appeared in a UFC YouTube video titled “UFC 305 Countdown.” The video featured interviews with both upcoming opponents, Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis, highlighting their respective journeys.

As the video progressed, focussing on the Sean Stricklabd fight, Adesanya seemingly became emotional while he expressed his perspective: “I got in there, and it felt like a bad dream. The moment he dropped me, he rocked me. I used a wide strike, and he used a straight punch and got to the target first.

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Israel Adesanya continued, “Boom, I dropped, and he’s wailing on me, punching.” Adesanya further stated that he wanted to get up after a few hits from Strickland but was unable to. He also revealed that it simply wasn’t his night and his time. This knockout by Strickland is considered one of the biggest upsets in the promotion’s history. Regardless, even after this victory, Sean Strickland couldn’t hold onto the title for long, losing it to Dricus du Plessis in his first title defense at UFC 297 earlier this year.

It is also interesting to note that Israel Adesanya is not the only one grieving for his title loss. Sean Strickland has also entered the conversation, recently making a statement about the highly anticipated upcoming fight between Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis. Strickland shared his thoughts and dismissed any possibility of being a backup for the fight.

Strickland eagerly eyes the coveted title shot

After moving on from his disappointing defeat against Dricus du Plessis and putting his past behind him, Sean Strickland recently returned to action at UFC 302, defeating Paulo Costa. This victory reignited his hunger for another title shot. In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Strickland was asked if he’d be interested in being a backup fighter for the upcoming UFC 305 main event.

Strickland responded bluntly, “Yeah, I mean, dude, you know when it comes to these backfill things, they’re always, “I’m next in line.” They could have anybody who’s a backfill. I’m next in line; it’s my shot. I’ll let them fight, who could say the N-word, and after they’re done, then I can handle it.”

What are your thoughts on the upcoming fight between Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis? Do you think Adesanya can defeat Du Plessis and reclaim his title, or will Du Plessis successfully defend his title for the first time? Share your thoughts below.