We are just a day away from witnessing the highly anticipated UFC 305 event, headlined by a matchup where current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will face Israel Adesanya. Adesanya is looking to reclaim his title for the third time after losing it to Sean Strickland last year. Du Plessis earned the title by dethroning Strickland earlier this year, making this fight especially intriguing. Consequently, the bout has captured the attention of the MMA world, including former welterweight champion, Kamru Usman who highlighted a key advantage that could favor Israel Adesanya in the upcoming fight.

In their latest podcast episode, Pound 4 Pound, on YouTube, Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo discussed UFC 305. Usman highlighted Israel Adesanya’s impressive feat of competing in 12 consecutive title fights and compared Adesanya’s style with that of Sean Strickland. Usman suggested that Adesanya’s ideal matchup would be against Strickland.

When Cejudo expressed skepticism, Usman elaborated on his perspective, saying, “Well all dealt with that. Everybody health with something. But I also thought it was a style clash. A guy like Sean Strickland, who stood right in front of you, seemed very, very hittable, but it wasn’t necessarily that he was hittable he stood straight up and through you could just hit him.”

Israel Adesanya has been a fan favorite since his UFC debut in 2018. He started his career with a win against Rob Wilkinson and went on to achieve an impressive 9-fight winning streak, including a title victory. Since then, every fight Adesanya has participated in has been a title bout. However, he has lost his championship three times: once to Jan Blachowicz, once to Alex Pereira, and most recently to Sean Strickland last year. That defeat deeply affected him, and he took time away from the sport from the sport to recover mentally.

Adesanya reflects on his journey ahead of the upcoming fight

There’s an old adage that to move forward, one must look back. This sentiment mirrors Israel Adesanya’s relentless pursuit to reclaim the title he lost unexpectedly to the underdog, Sean Strickland at UFC 293. Since that shocking defeat, Adesanya has taken a step back from the spotlight, reflecting on his loss. Now recharged and driven, he’s set his sights on Dricus du Plessis.

Before the upcoming fight, Adesanya recently appeared in a UFC video titled UFC 305 Countdown. When discussing the Strickland fight, he became emotional and shared his insights, stating that it was not his time or his night. He added, “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.”

What are your thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s remarks regarding Israel Adesanya’s style matchup? Do you believe that Sean Strickland is more a fitting opponent for Adesanya than Dricus Du Plessis? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.