Israel Adesanya thinks it’s about time he taught his bully a lesson.
A top-2 middleweight of all time, former two-time UFC Champion Israel Adesanya is getting the itch to get back into the Octagon after the worst losing skid of his career.
Coming off back-to-back stoppages to the current champion Dricus du Plessis and #1 contender Nassourdine Imavov in February, Adesanya’s string of losses all began with his heated rival Sean Strickland in 2023.
Preparing for his comeback fight, Adesanya apparently hasn’t forgotten about his old rival and why would he, considering Strickland took his title away at UFC 293 in dominating fashion after mocking the middleweight champion for years, bringing back memories of childhood bullies.
Embed from Getty ImagesIsrael Adesanya shocks David Goggins with plan to fight Sean Strickland
Training with the likes of Kamaru Usman and David Goggins, Adesanya recently told the Navy SEAL (who Strickland also has beef with) he’s setting his sights on the American for his next opponent.
“I told Hunter [Campbell] already,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel.
“I told my coach here, it’s time. I know who, I have a feeling who I wanna fight.
“You’ll like this one. I can get some get-back: Sean Strickland,” Adesanya told Goggins.
“No! You’re going after him?” said Goggins in disbelief.
Strickland was the third man to beat Adesanya in MMA, but the first to win every round against him after dropping him in the opening minutes of their title fight. UFC 293 served as Adesanya’s fifth title fight in 18 months.
“He beat me fair and square in Sydney, five nil,” Adesanya told Goggins.
“Just whooped my ass badly.
“That was one of the things what made me realize I need to slow down in my activity. I was fighting 3-4 a year as a champion. So I’m like, I’m gonna pull back now because I’m older…
“I’m doing things different,” the 35-year-old said.
“I don’t wanna make excuses because he beat me. But then I just wanna show him if he beat me at my best. So, this time I’m gonna come in and correct.”
Israel Adesanya says Sean Strickland attacked his ‘inner child’
For Adesanya, a fight with Strickland is much more than righting a wrong.
Whether it was Alex Pereira or Dricus du Plessis, Adesanya’s drawn motivation from certain storylines and interactions with his opponents.
Of course, Strickland has had much to say about Adesanya over the years, from taking shots at his masculinity to off-color comments about his dog, there really wasn’t a line Strickland wouldn’t cross.
What fuels Adesanya in a rematch with Strickland? Protecting his ‘inner child’ against a big-time bully.
“Everything he’s done since that… because I used to get bullied a lot as a kid,” Adesanya said.
“So he’s an embodiment of that in a sense.
“He attacked a young me, the inner child,” Adesanya said of Strickland.
“So, I wanna protect him and get some get-back on him.
“I love that mentality,” Goggins replied.