Former two-time undisputed middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya is chasing a rematch clash with fellow ex-champion, Sean Strickland in his return to the UFC later this year. That’s according to veteran head coach, Tim Welch at least.
Adesanya, who is currently in the midst of a disappointing three-fight losing skid, has been sidelined since his return in a non-title fight back in February of this year.
And headlining the promotion’s return to Saudi Arabia, Adesanya would take on the surging French-Russian challenger, Nassourdine Imavov.
Dropping a stoppage defeat for the second bout running, City Kickboxing striker, Israel Adesanya was felled in the early goings of the second round by the surging Imavov.
Israel Adesanya gunning for re-run fight with Sean Strickland
Amd yet to book his return to action in the time since, according to Welch — the head coach of incoming UFC 316 headliner, Sean O’Malley, Adesanya is chomping at the bit for a re-run fight with fellow ex-titleholder, Strickland when it’s time for him to return to the Octagon.
“It seemed like he (Israel Adesanya) was wanting that (Sean) Strickland fight back,” Welch said on his YouTube channel. “They said, and it’s not excuses, but his knee was very f*cked up, he was so burnt out, it was just a bad, bad night where he didn’t show up.”
Suffering his second title loss to the outspoken, Strickland back in September 2023, Adesanya found himself on the wrong side of a one-sided unanimous decision loss — in one of the biggest title fight upsets in the antiquity of the organization.
Sandwiched between his losses to Imavov and Strickland was an unsuccessful title charge ‘Downunder’ in August of last year.
Headlining UFC 305, Nigerian-Kiwi striking ace, Adesanya came unstuck in a neck crank submission loss to bitter rival, the current champion, Dricus du Plessis in the pair’s infamous grudge matchup.
