“I gotta get some get back – Strickland… He beat me fair and square in Sydney 5-0. Whooped my a– badly. And again, that was one of the things that made me realize I need to slow down in my activity… This time I am gonna come at him correct,” Israel Adesanya said while training with David Goggins. He revealed that he talked to Hunter Campbell and his coach, Eugene Bareman, asking for a rematch against Sean Strickland. But is Strickland the right opponent for Adesanya?

Talks about ‘The Last Stylebender’s decline and several back-to-back losses have painted a bad picture of the former two-time middleweight champion, and the fighting community is worried for the Kiwi. Let’s see why fighting ‘Tarzan’ once again could be a bad decision for Adesanya. 

Israel Adesanya isn’t in his prime anymore

‘The Last Stylebender’ is on a 3-fight losing streak, and it all began with the loss against Strickland. Despite the rage and emotions that he carried into UFC 305, he couldn’t defeat Dricus Du Plessis. And in his last bout, Nassourdine Imavov finished him with an overhand right in the second round. What went wrong in these fights? Was Adesanya slower than before? Weighing in on his last bout, Daniel Cormier took to his YouTube channel and said, “He looked fast, he looked sharp, but it’s not the speed that’s gone from Adesanya. It’s the ability to see things coming, that quickness, the vision, and when you get hit as you get older, you go down.”

On The fighter vs. The Writer, Matt Brown pointed questioned, “Is his [Adesanya’s] peak just ending?” It’s true that he was slower than his usual self at UFC Saudi Arabia. But Brown’s stance was that boxers don’t usually stay in their prime at the age of 35. It’s the age when the fighters start declining. And it was evident with the way Israel Adesanya moved in his last three bouts. He was being forced backwards and was unable to exert dominance for long. 

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This decline was also pointed out by Sayif Saud, an MMA analyst nominated for Analyst of the Year at the 16th Annual World MMA Awards. He claimed, “He got just a hair slower and that was the difference. So I think that’s what we’re seeing with Izzy.” According to Henry Cejudo, Adesanya is at that point in his career when he should “pick a fun fight.” And as far as the rematch against Sean Strickland is concerned, their bout at UFC 293 is proof that Adesanya should steer clear of ‘Tarzan’. 

With age, Adesanya not only lost his speed but also his mental edge. He seemed uncomfortable in his last three fights. But UFC 293 saw that a bit too well. Let’s recall how Adesanya fared against Strickland. 

What transpired at Israel Adesanya vs. Sean Strickland 1? 

UFC 293 marked the first title shot for Strickland. The bout went for all five rounds. And in each round, ‘Tarzan’ asserted dominance over Adesanya. It was a fight that witnessed Strickland going forward without any hesitation, neutralizing Adesanya’s counter-striking system. This pressure not only hampered Adesanya’s rhythm but also prevented him from using his elusive movements. ‘Tarzan’ simply showed that he was the better and more technical striker in the bout. If we rewatch the fight, we can fairly note that his jabs were pretty clean and worked well by keeping Adesanya at a distance. 

On top of that, Strickland has a defense that lets him absorb strong shots. Adesanya is a knockout artist, but ‘Tarzan’ had a strong chin that kept him standing despite facing the man who brought down Alex Pereira. Additionally, Strickland’s defensive prowess made it really hard for ‘Izzy’ to land clean shots. This made the former 2-time champion’s precision a redundant skill. And the thing that decided the rhythm of the fight was the 34-year-old’s calm composure. 

The New Zealander was unable to adjust to Strickland’s pressure. And by the end of the fight, he looked mentally and physically drained. It seemed like the inability to handle the pressure made him hesitant. Even when Strickland was yelling for a slugfest with his hands down, Adesanya did not engage. The ‘dog’ in him, that we saw in the Pereira rematch, was nowhere to be seen.

Weighing in on the fight in Sydney, Dana White said, “Obviously, I expected a completely different main event. Whether ‘Izzy’ won or Strickland won, nobody saw that coming. That ‘Izzy’ would come in flat and slow, and whatever’s going on with him, I don’t think anybody expected to see that.” And Adesanya claimed that he just had an off night. 

Of course, whether he takes up the fight or not completely depends on Adesanya. But looking at their recent records, it’s ideal for the Kiwi to avert his eyes from ‘Tarzan’. Instead, he can opt to fight others like Marvin Vettori or Jared Cannonier. These fights can help Adesanya in re-evaluating his stance in the middleweight realm and devising a strategy against Strickland. After all, Strickland seems to be on the rise with his recent performances. He even defeated Imavov via a unanimous decision and went the full five rounds against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312. This proved that he might be an opponent that Adesanya can never surpass, now that he’s begun to experience a decline from his prime. 

Do you think ‘The Last Stylebender’ should actually seek a rematch against ‘Tarzan’? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.