By Brian Pempus
On April 8, 2023, Israel Adesanya spectacularly won back the middleweight belt.
Facing his arch-rival Alex Pereira from Brazil, the Nigeria-born Adesanya scored a second-round knockout with his back against the fence. Pereira fell back violently against the canvas, and Adesanya landed a hammer fist before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
The 13-year combat sports veteran has been one of the most active UFC champions in recent memory. He should fight at least once more this year—possibly twice.
Regarding UFC futures odds, Adesanya is a -115 betting favorite against the field to still be champion at the end of 2023. It could be worth a bet, but we don’t know who he’s fighting next.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira
It appears the rivalry is over for now. The two fighters are 1-1 against each other in MMA, with Pereira having the 2-0 lead over Adesanya in kickboxing. Their UFC matchups have been mostly kickboxing, as they are among the best strikers in combat sports history.
Pereira said in the aftermath of his loss to Adesanya at UFC 287 that he would be moving up to the 205-pound light heavyweight division. He has difficulty cutting weight to 185 pounds, while Adesanya’s slightly smaller frame is well-suited for the weight class.
They have met four times now, with Pereira holding the 3-1 lead. It seems like a good bet that they will one day fight again, but there’s currently no timetable for it. One must imagine it would be near the end of their careers as a so-called legacy fight.
Who Will Adesanya Fight Next?
Adesanya’s next UFC fight will likely be against one of these four fighters:
- Dricus du Plessis
- Khamzat Chimaev
- Robert Whittaker
- Jamahal Hill
Adesanya was a slight moneyline betting favorite in his April 2023 fight against Pereira. He’ll likely be a favorite against his next scheduled opponent.
As of mid-April, Adesanya had victories over everyone inside the top five of the middleweight division, in addition to others inside the top 15. No. 6 ranked Dricus du Plessis from South Africa is rumored to be a leading candidate for Adesanya’s next fight, but it appears that he will have to win one more battle before getting a crack at Adesanya.
Dagestani sensation Khamzat Chimaev has moved up to middleweight and is expected to fight No. 5 ranked Paulo Costa of Brazil. A dominant win by Chimaev could earn him a title shot after just a single high-profile fight in the division. There’s a lot of hype behind Chimaev.
Chimaev is a dominant grappler, so he might be a slight betting odds favorite over Adesanya. Styles make fights, and Chimaev might have what it takes to win the belt.
It’s awkward timing for Adesanya if he wants to fight this summer or early fall, as neither Chimaev nor du Plessis could be ready for a title shot until late 2023 or early 2024.
Though there hasn’t been much chatter, there’s also a trilogy bout with Robert Whittaker. The Australian is 0-2 against Adesanya, but the second fight was much closer. Whittaker hasn’t lost to anyone not named Adesanya since early 2014. He hasn’t fought since September, so he’s ready for a fight booking.
Adesanya may get another try at the 205-pound title. He failed to win that belt in a 2021 loss to then-champion Jan Błachowicz of Poland. The current light heavyweight champion is American Jamahal Hill, who won the belt in January. Hill might be ready for a fight this summer, which could be perfect timing for Adesanya. According to UFC President Dana White, he could fight soon.
“I said this before, and I’ll say it again, at the last press conference in Miami, this guy [Adesanya] was already blowing Hunter [Campbell] and the boys up, ‘When’s my next fight? When’s my next fight? I want to fight again. I want to fight again,’” White said. “I love that about Adesanya. Adesanya wants to fight non-stop, constantly, and he wants to fight everybody. We’re working on that, and he’ll fight again soon, maybe before the end of the summer.”
Israel Adesanya Record in UFC
Adesanya is 13-2 in the UFC. He had 11 MMA wins before joining the UFC, so his overall MMA record is 24-2. Sixteen of his career wins came via knockout and eight by decision.
Adesanya has never had a submission win in his MMA career.
Adesanya is an incredible 75-5 in kickboxing, with 29 wins coming via knockout. Pereira knocked out Adesanya in kickboxing, with his other four losses coming via the judges.
Is Adesanya the Best UFC Fighter Ever?
Adesanya isn’t there yet in terms of being regarded as the best to ever step foot inside the UFC octagon. He’s cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters of all time, but he hasn’t entered the so-called G.O.A.T conversations yet. That should come with time.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who reigned at the top of the division from 2006-13, is still considered by most people to be the best ever in the division. However, a few more UFC wins for Adesanya could change things.
Adesanya beat Silva in 2019, but Silva was in his 40s and already past his fighting prime.
Originally published at Forbes