Israel Adesanya‘s stunning victory over Alex Pereira at UFC 287 has left the MMA world in awe. The Nigerian-born fighter put on an impressive performance to win the middleweight title back, knocking out Pereira for the first time in his MMA career. This victory adds to Adesanya‘s already impressive record of 24 wins and just two losses in his professional MMA career.

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The victory over Pereira comes after Adesanya‘s last loss to the Brazilian fighter at UFC 281. It was a hard-fought battle that saw both fighters go toe-to-toe, but Pereira ultimately emerged victorious. However, Adesanya was determined to bounce back, and that’s exactly what he did in the rematch. With Pereira moving up to light heavyweight, the UFC is now on the hunt for the next title contender.

Henry Cejudo about Israel Adesanya and fighters that can beat him

Henry Cejudo, the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, was also impressed with Adesanya‘s skills and UFC 287 victory. Cejudo believes that Adesanya has already gone through all the middleweights in the division and that he will now restart all his title defenses after being stopped in the last fight.

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“I think, now looking at the middleweight division, he’s gone through all of them. He’s restarting now. He’s going to restart all his title defenses from being stopped in that last fight. Who is it that’s going to beat Israel? I don’t see anybody that’s on that roster beating him.”

Read More – “When It Was Time…”– Israel Adesanya Explains How He Baited Alex Pereira Towards the Knockout and Reclaimed the Middleweight Title

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Cejudo also believes that no one in the current division can beat Adesanya, except for maybe Bo Nickal or Khamzat Chimaev, who he thinks could make Adesanya fight the B-side. “Beating him right now, at least in the top 10 until Bo Nickal comes or maybe like a Khamzat. Somebody that could make Israel fight the B-side,” Cejudo said.

Can Khamzat Chimaev & Bo Nickal challenge for the title?

Bo Nickal has been catching a lot of attention because of his performances. Nickal has an MMA record of 4-0 and is facing Tresean Gore on July 8, 2023, at UFC 290. Khamzat Chimaev, on the other hand, is moving up a weight class because of his problems with weight cuts. Chimaev sits on an impressive record of 12 wins and 0 losses.

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Both of these fighters are impressive but are not too close to a title shot. In the middleweight division, it is obvious that Adesanya is a formidable opponent. It will take a lot for any fighter to defeat him. It is unclear who will accept the offer and attempt to overthrow Adesanya from UFC gold.

Watch This Story – The Saga Of Bad Blood Between Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya

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Sushant Sharma

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Sushant Sharma is a UFC Content Analyst at EssentiallySports. A senior writer with almost 1000 articles under his belt, Sushant is always scanning the MMA landscape for current trends and breaking news. His knowledge and expertise in the sport are well-reflected in the ‘Opinion’ pieces he churns out from time to time. Sushant’s impactful style of writing has earned him a mention from boxing champion turned MMA star Claressa Shields. He is a constant presence in the live coverage team, updating the fans with all the latest news from live events in real time. In his free time, Sushant trains in combat sports and powerlifting. He is an accomplished powerlifter with silver and bronze medals at the State level. You can reach out to him at

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Rohini Kottu