Between last week’s Fight Night in Saudi Arabia, this weekend’s PPV in Australia, and next weekend’s card at The Apex – middleweights take center stage with back-to-back-to-back main events.
February, aka ‘Middleweight Month’, certainly kicked off in dramatic fashion as surging French contender Nassourdine Imavov knocked out Israel Adesanya in the second round in Riyadh.
In the days since, countless UFC superstars both past and present have come out to send heartwarming messages of support to ‘The Last Stylebender’ – including one of his most infamous title foes.
Sean Strickland says Israel Adesanya doesn’t owe anyone anything after KO
From Khabib Nurmagomedov to Francis Ngannou, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has received messages of support and adulation from across the MMA world.
Given how his shock KO loss came just one week before the middleweight title is set to be contested in the main event of UFC 312, it’s no surprise that Sean Strickland has now been asked about his former rival suffering his third consecutive defeat.
“I mean, at the end of the day dude, Izzy is a f——, he’s [already] made his legacy,” said Strickland in a highly edited interview on FoxSports Australia.
“If you want to continue to fight, then continue to fight but you’ve done what you’ve already done. You don’t really got to prove anything man, you’re a lasting name in the sport, like you’ve chiseled your name into it.”
Strickland, who has himself suffered six losses in the UFC, argued that there was “no shame” on Adesanya’s part in losing to the next generation of fighters – which Nassourdine Imavov firmly represents.
“No shame, you’re getting older, and it happens, you know.”
A clip of those remarks made its way onto social media, with the majority of responses agreeing with the former champion: “He’s absolutely right. It’ll be tough to talk about the greatest MW fighters in UFC history and not bring up Izzy.”
“Agree with Strickland on this one. There’s nothing left for Izzy to accomplish, he’s already a UFC legend regardless of what he does next.”
“The only meaningful words ever spoken by Strickland.”
- UFC SAUDI ARABIA: Israel Adesanya’s coach addresses the eye-poke that halted fight 10 seconds before shock knockout
Strickland attempts to emulate Adesanya by re-claiming gold at UFC 312
Ironically, Sean Strickland will be attempting to emulate Israel Adesanya’s iconic re-capturing of the middleweight title when he rematches Dricus Du Plessis in the main event of UFC 312.
‘Stylebender’ famously lost the title via KO to Alex Pereira in late 2022, only to re-claim the belt just five months later with a vicious knockout of his own.
By comparison, Du Plessis claimed the 185lb belt in a razor-close split decision in January 2024, and it’s safe to say that Strickland is desperate to put a definitive stamp on his latest championship rivalry.
Speaking via ESPN MMA, ‘Tarzan’ would suggest that he needs ‘more pressure and less skill’ down under and that he needs to avoid being opened up around the eye again.
“The hard thing was when I got that cut, it really changed the dynamic of the fight, but I just think with this fight, it just needs to be a dog fight. More pressure, less skill.”
“It was more the cut [than anything else], said Strickland.
“I mean after that headbutt, they had to stitch muscle, it was so deep. And I’m a man of vision, if you take my vision [away] it’s like here you go.”
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2 goes down live from Australia on Saturday, February 8.